


The Three Saints

by ThatDamnKennedyKid



Category: Saints Row
Genre: Alcohol, Drugs, Essentially everything that comes with the Saints Row universe, F/M, Slow Build, Starts At Saints Row 2 And Continues, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Three Female Bosses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-18
Updated: 2015-05-18
Packaged: 2018-03-31 04:20:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 39,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3964180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatDamnKennedyKid/pseuds/ThatDamnKennedyKid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos frees Johnny's right hand, Dex's left hand and Julius' Playa. From there . . . well, explosions, obviously.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Some Chapters are much smaller than others. This is one of those.

_There are three saints in the Stilwater Memorial Church. One has nothing to separate her from the rest of the world’s people. Her hair was down and a halo floated above her head. The second had angel wings coming from her back. The last bears the tail whip of the devil. How can they be saints, you would ask? It is simple._

_They do not pretend to be good._

* * *

Johnny Gat was not a religious man. Even faced with his easy death by electrocution, he didn’t think of, thank or curse anyone upstairs. If anything, his thoughts went to Aisha and how upset she will be the day he dies. Hopefully.

When a head of blue hair and a person as equally blue stepped through that door and pointed the NR4 at the officer, he thanked every deity since the beginning of civilization and a few more. It was her.

But she was supposed to be dead.

_Today’s my lucky day._

 


	2. Where A Saint Lives

Honestly, when she picked up Johnny and they went back to Aisha’s place, it almost seemed like she hadn’t been down for so many years. She never felt left behind by Johnny, and even in prison, the man still kept tabs on everyone and everything that passed through Stilwater. That was why she shouldn’t have been surprised when she came back to the clubhouse after recruiting Pierce to find Johnny scrapping with some new members and two other women standing there passively, watching him remake his name.

“Nekane! Natalie!” The blue haired woman ran over and threw her arms around the two, who hugged her back.

“Good to see you alive, Adrianne.” The Spaniard whispered in her ear. There were only a few people who knew her name, and the two women were in that small, graced group.

“Hey, you guys aren’t looking too bad yourselves, considering that you were blown up just like me.” The Saint smirked widely.

“You three done reminiscing?” Johnny called.

“You’re just upset you can’t join our tea party.” Adrianne threw over her shoulder, making Nekane smother her giggles and Natalie turn an interesting shade of rouge. “I assume the chick is Shaundi?”

“You assume correctly.” Natalie replied softly.

“So, since Johnny isn’t planning a coup d'etat, I guess that means we’re in charge.”

“I vote we kick the Brotherhood’s ass.” Nekane threw in instantly.

“I’m cool with whatever.” Natalie replied meekly. The only reason this woman could even be considered a gang member is because she didn’t care about your shit and she would as soon look at you as light you on fire. She was as ruthless as Gat. She was just more quiet and calm about it.

Adrianne nodded. “Brotherhood it is. I’ll assign Pierce and Shaundi to the Ronin and the Sons of Samedi.”

“I’ll rally the troops.” Nekane laughed as she walked up onto the platform where all three women just _knew_ an angel state would have to go.

 


	3. Brotherhood In Roman Politics

Nekane ended the call by smashing her phone against the wall. Adrianne ducked the shards of the phone and glared at the elder Spaniard.

“The hell I’d ever do to you?!”

“Fucking Brotherhood got my fucking favourite lieutenant!” Nekane screamed in frustration.

“Well, don’t throw anything else, you psychotic bitch.” Adrianne soothed. “We’ll go get his lazy ass, that’s all.”

“I don’t even know where he is.”

“I’ll beat it out of Donny, then.” Natalie said quietly. “You two get deep into the Brotherhood territory. I’ll call you when I find out where he is.”

* * *

“Get the fuck out of the way, you stupid fuck!” Nekane yelled as the blue Attrazione and her own black Shard swerved in and out of traffic holes.

“You’re yelling at me?! You’re the tiny shit disturber that keeps getting in my way.” Adrianne answered from the sleek blue sports car. The roofless vehicle ducked under an eighteen wheeler and out the other side. She rammed down harder on the gas pedal and the sleek blue machine sped up, surpassing the shiny black joyrider beside it. Adrianne pulled out her phone, hitting all of three buttons before the caller display popped up.

“ ‘Ello?”

“Natalie, whatcha got?”

“Donny said there was a traffic circle they shut down and are dragging him around on. Hurry, ‘cause he might be beyond help when you get there.”

“Thanks Nat. I’ll update you on whatever happens.” Adrianne hung up the phone and put the radio Bluetooth back in her ear. “Nekki?”

“What?!” The irritation and dark fury in her voice made the blue-haired serial murderer wince.

“There’s a traffic circle just ahead where they’re . . . dragging him behind a truck.”

The line went dead and Adrianne watched the Shard spit fire out the exhaust pipes as she sped the machine into overheating. The nitrous made the fire turn an ironic shade of purple and she practically catapulted forwards.

Adrianne’s sports car coasted along, letting Nekane’s fury unveil itself before she snuck in behind. When she arrived at the circle, Nekane had already wasted a clip on the Brotherhood lackeys. The truck, however, was still in motion, and Carlos was still pinned down behind it.

Adrianne’s eyes narrowed and she slammed down on the gas. She pulled out her pistol and capped the driver. She eased up and shot the tires, hoping beyond hope that the truck would stop faster. It did.

The blue car reversed quickly, the matching driver quickly sliding over the hood and hurrying over to the lieutenant laid out on the ground.

“Carlos?” Adrianne murmured at a near whisper.

The bleary-eyed hispanic lieutenant gasped. “Boss?”

“We gotcha.” Adrianne smiled in relief. “I know this is gonna hurt, but you gotta deal.”

“I’ll try.”

Adrianne pulled the man into a sitting position, immediately hearing him pant harder as he tried to control what otherwise would have been a scream. From there, she hoisted him up on her shoulder and he let his body fall loosely across her overly-muscled form. With his feet in direct view, she adjusted him just so she could blow the padlock off with her shotgun. The chain fell lifelessly, like any piece of metal, from around his ankles. He looked around himself and saw his superior, Nekane, screaming insults, threats and curses at the Brotherhood who surrounded her. He smiled weakly. Had it been any other time, he’d have been grinning like the love-struck fool he was.

“Shouldn’t we help her?”

Adrianne laid him down sideways as best she could, with him facing the driver’s door. She closed it and slid back over the hood, slamming the door and she wrapping an arm around his shoulders and jolted immediately into as fast of a reverse as she could. “You kiddin’ me? You’re in absolutely no condition to fight a paperclip out of its box and she already almost killed me today with her phone. If I even attempted to help with with anything less than a sniper rifle from a mile away, she’d kill me. That is, that I wasn’t looking out for you.”

The car vaulted forwards again and within moments, they were slamming to a stop in front of the hospital. Adrianne released him and sprinted into the sterile room.

“I need a gurney and I need it now!” She yelled. “My friend’s gonna die!”

“Calm down, Miss. I just need you to fill-”

“Fuck this shit! He’s dying! If you’re worried about the money, you fuck, I got it here, in cash! Get his road-rash covered ass in the emergency now!”

* * *

There was a knock on the door. It was tentative and soft, unlike those of Pierce, Shaundi, Johnny and Blue. Natalie had been quiet, but that was the way she was. Besides, she’d just left. Some of his lessers had been by and brought decent food, but he supposed that had something to do with the Bosses.

“Come in.”

The door opened on squeaky hinges and in all her blood-covered, half-dressed glory was none other than his personal boss, Nekane. She smiled weakly, almost nervously, and he didn’t like the look on her.

“Hey Boss. I saw that badassery over at the circle.” He smiled at her. She sat down beside him and took his hand.

“Thanks, Carlos. You weren’t too bad yourself.”

“Sorry Boss, but I don’t have blue hair.”

“Ah. My mistake, then.” She became somber once again. “How are you doin’?”

“Pretty good. I’ll have a lot of scars on my back, but they said it could have been fatal or irreparable if you guys had of even been a minute later. I owe you my life.”

“You don't owe me anything, Carlos. It’s my fault you were out there anyways. You shouldn’t have been alone.”

“If I need to be babysat, what kind of lieutenant does that make me?” Carlos shot back. She gazed up at him, then quickly averted her eyes.

“I don’t know. I got Brotherhood assholes to clear out of our city. I’ll be back, Carlos.”

“See ya, Boss. Kick some ass for me.”

“Please . . .” She threw a smile at him from the door, this one more genuine than any previous. “Call me Nekane.”

* * *

Adrianne sat next to Natalie and simply watched a certain schoolboy Spaniard. Carlos was sitting at the bar. Now, normally, this wouldn’t be too weird. He talked to some of the other Saints from his neighbourhood and just hung out. But today was different.

Carlos wasn’t surrounded by familiar faces in an alcoholic haze. He was sitting beside Nekane.

“How are you feeling, Carlos?”

Carlos shrugged nervously. “Better than I was on that track, that’s for damn sure.”

“I killed them all. Maero is dead.” Nekane’s voice had lowered to a volume where the other Saints wouldn’t pay attention. Adrianne and Natalie weren’t just other Saints, though, and these two Bosses weren’t into anything Shaundi had felt appropriate to buy.

“One point for the Saints, eh?” Carlos smiled.

“One point Saints, two kicks to the balls for the Brotherhood.” Nekane laughed slightly, staring at her lieutenant. “I’m happy you’re alright.”

“So am I.”

“Should we yell ‘Kiss him’ and let the Saints take over?” Adrianne whispered.

“Would you appreciate that done to you and Johnny?”

“Johnny’s with Aisha.”

Natalie nodded, a sarcastic smirk on her face. “Uh huh. And am I to believe that there was nothing between you and Johnny before Aisha ever came into the picture?”

“Who the hell told you?”

“C’mon. I’m not stupid enough to miss the chemistry. I guarantee you that if you dressed like Nekane, there would be a huge possessive/jealousy issue between you and Aisha.”

“You don't know her as well as I do.”

“That may be so. But tell me, did you not feel the slightest urge to retaliate against Aisha when her and Johnny started out?”

Adrianne rolled her eyes. “I’ve always known Aisha looks better than I could ever possibly hope to.”

“If you were anybody else, you would have turned around and fought to get him back. Trust me.”

“Can we get back to ruining Nekane’s and Carlos’ awkward conversation by acting like fifth graders?”

Natalie smiled sweetly and Adrianne scowled. “Whatever you want, my crimson Blue.”

“I am _not_ blushing.”

“Yes you are.”

“Shut the fuck up, will ya?”

“Whateva you say, Blue.”

 

 


	4. Off Track, On Course

“What the fuck do you _mean_ that Veteran Child escaped?”

Adrianne peered over at Nekane, who was on the phone with Natalie.

_“He was using Shaundi as a human shield. Do you think I wouldn’t have taken a couple of lousy bullets if he’d have been alone?!”_

“Don’t push her.” Adrianne whispered, one of the Saints’ Vortexes speeding up. Nekane’s Shard was in on repairs because of an absolutely horrific display of police brutality and disregard.

“I’m not.” Nekane hissed back before putting the phone back up to her ear. “Do you know where he’s gone?”

_“No. I’ll call up Pierce, though, and see where he might be.”_

“Tell her I’ll call Johnny.” Adrianne said, pulling out her own phone.

“Blue is going to call Gat and see what he can find.”

 _“Hold on. I’ve got another call.”_ Nekane didn’t have to wait long. _“Veteran Child told me to go to some asinine bar. It’s a trap.”_

“It’s a trap.” Adrianne murmured at the same time. Nekane smiled at the women’s like-mindedness.

“Of course it is. Go there anyways just in case. I’ll see you later.”

_“Adios.”_

“Johnny?”

_“What can I do for ya, Ade?”_

“Do you know anything about Veteran Child?”

_“The Gen-X DJ? Uhhh . . .” There was a bit of a pause. “‘Ish says he has a club called ‘On Track’, if that’s any help. All I can tell you is the fact that he’s a hippie pothead who sells the Sons of Samedi’s MO.”_

“Thanks, Johnny. And Aisha. Thank Aisha for me.”

“ _Will do, Boss. I’ll be in Purgatory whenever you’re done.”_

“Cool. Later.”

_“Yep.”_

“Where did Johnny say?”

“Johnny said he was in with the Samedi. Aisha said he has some sort of club called On Track. I say we go there and show ‘em what a real party is.”

_“Hello?”_

“Nat, he’s at On Track.”

_“Fuck! I should have thought of that! Meet you there.”_

“Of course.”

“Ya know, for such a little Asian,” Adrianne swung the purple purring machine around sharply, headed for the aforementioned club. “She curses like a fuckin’ trucker.”

“You swear like the lovechild of a sailor and a trucker. Your point?”

“Well, I’m white trash.” She gestured up to her hair. “I mean, jeez, I give credibility to the stereotype.”

“I don’t think there’s a gangbanger out there that doesn’t swear profusely.”

Adrianne shrugged. “I dunno. We’ve been working with her for, what? Five years, give or take? And I’m still not used to the potty mouth she’s got.”

“Blue, just because you’re one of the oldest original Saints doesn’t mean that you are the absolute best judge of character.”

“I’m pretty fuckin’ close.”

“Not by a long shot.”

“I’m wounded.”

“No, you’re not.”

“You’re right. So, which one of us is going to fuck up Veteran Child?”

“Well, Nat is Shaundi’s best friend. I say we fuck up anybody that wants to come between them. Shaundi excluded, of course.”

“You really think I’m that stupid not to think that she’ll be a human shield?”

“Kinda.”

“Get out of the car.”

“You’re gonna need my help at On Track and you know it.”

“Whatever, then. You’re walking home.”

“I’m ok with that. Gives me a reason to corner Carlos in his car.”

“You’re actually disgusting.”

Nekane gave a wicked smirk. “There is actually a very distinct difference between filthy dirty and disgusting.”

“Not where you’re involved.”

“Wanna find out?”

“Oh look! _On Track_!”

* * *

 

Nekane was taken out as Adrianne ripped Shaundi from Veteran Child’s grasp. The DJ cowered in fear as Natalie slowly stalked over, tossing her assault rifle over to Adrianne.

“Get the fuck off of me!” Nekane cried, shoving the small woman off of her lithe body.

“Sorry.” Shaundi murmured.

“Don’t listen to ‘er. Let’s get you into the Vortex.”

“You were serious about leaving me?”

Adrianne’s smile was evil. “Take your time with Carlos, sweetheart.”

“Bitch!”

 

* * *

It was pissing down rain and it was surprisingly quiet in Purgatory. Nekane had gotten to the Red Light loft before Adrianne. After what the blue-haired boss saw, she knew she wasn’t going to be going there for a while, if ever again. So, instead, she sat with Shaundi, staring in awe as the lieutenant ingested more drugs than the Boss had ever in her whole entirety of existence. It was humbling.

“Woah, Boss, you-”

“Silence.”

Adrianne tore herself away from the spectacle they called Shaundi and gazed up at Natalie as she strode, soaked and bloody over to the bar. Carefully, dangerously, she wiped the blood from her knuckles.

“You beat him to death?”

“Anything else wouldn’t have been as satisfying.” Natalie replied simply, shrugging. “I really hate asshole boyfriends.”

“Never gonna get used to that.” Adrianne murmured. “Well, you’ll be happy to see that Shaundi suffered no ill effect.”

“That is good.”

“Man, when I get the shit kicked out of me, no one fuckin’ cares.” Pierce sulked.

“Don’t whine, Pierce.” Natalie snapped. “It makes you significantly less attractive.”

Adrianne raised an eyebrow. It was like the whole world had fallen silent just to hear her speak those words.

“Nekki said I’m not a good judge of character, but that definitely sounded like an admission.”

“Like you and Johnny?”

Blue just smiled. “Me and Johnny got history and chemistry that hasn’t stopped sizzling, I’ll give ya that, but that’s old news. People without eyes can see why me and Gat would be in for the win. But Pierce? The Badass and the Endless Bag O’ Wind? I doubt even Nikki-Nekki would have foreseen this one.”

“Blue, I will shove my foot so far up your ass that you’ll be tasting your shit for years if you don’t shut the fuck up, right now.”

“Ok, ok. I’ll be good.” Adrianne laid back in her seat, a smirk still firmly in place. “But I won’t forget.”

“Whatever.” Natalie snatched the keys to her bike and slammed the doors that lead into the Mission above.

“All I heard was my name and ‘attractive’.” Pierce said.

“Of course you did.” Shaundi interjected. She fell down beside the Blue Boss and wrapped an arm around her muscled shoulders. “Wow. You’re actually as cut as you look. Anyways, I say we start Operation: No Lonely Nat. Whaddya say?”

A blue-gloved fist connected with Shaundi’s bare hand. “I’m in. I just gotta drop by Aisha’s place first.”

“Alright. Oh, and Pierce . . . ?”


	5. Old Friends, New Enemies

Nekane looked at her phone to find seven calls and one voice mail from Adrianne.

_Strange. She never leaves a message._

_“Nekane! You fucking bitch! Pick up the fucking phone! Johnny’s been fucking stabbed and Aisha’s been fucking sliced across the neck! I need your help! Fuckin’ NOW!”_

That was left almost eight hours ago.

“Nat?”

_“I got them. Gat’s in the hospital and . . . we lost a Saints icon.”_

“Aisha?”

_“ . . . Yeah.”_

“And Adrianne?”

_“She’s been gone and there’s been reports on the news of massive explosions and mass violence in the north hoods across the river. The Ronin are getting their asses kicked, that’s for sure.”_

“That’s where she is, then.”

_“I don’t doubt it. They fucked up two of the people that she loves most. Veteran Child was unrecognizable by face when I got through with him after Shaundi. And with how violence already flows through Adrianne’s body thicker than her own blood, I’d say that lighting her veins on fire with grief, fury and vengeance wasn’t too smart of an idea.”_

“Do you know if-”

_“She was furious. She said things that she would never repeat. She called you every name she could think of and a couple more. She even bashed Carlos. She screamed and smashed things and sobbed. Then she went to the closest Friendly Fire. I haven’t seen her since. And I certainly don’t recommend going to find her. I think we should just let her come back, herself, to the Red Light District or corner her in Gat’s room. Who knows what kind of inhumane slaughter she’s got going on up there. I recalled all walking Saints into the lower hoods. They’ll be lucky enough to survive in their cars.”_

“What room is he in?”

_“Two-fifty. He may not be in visiting condition yet, though.”_

“We’ve all seen Johnny in worse.”

_“Don’t remind him of the knee incident. For the love of Christ.”_

“You been hanging out with Pierce?” A pause. “Nat? Natalie? Hello?”

“What happened?” Carlos moaned, groggy and still mostly incoherent.

“Natalie hung up on me.”

“Ah. Too bad.”

“Oh, Johnny’s been stabbed and Aisha is dead.”

“WHAT?!”

* * *

Natalie was leaning against the wall of the waiting room, chatting quietly with Pierce and Shaundi. Nekane watched them boredly as she waited for the vending machine to spit up what she paid for. She kind of felt bad that Johnny, who was used to greasy fast food in mass quantities, was stuck on shitty salads and even worse tasting meat inside this hospital. So, she was here, buying herself a Kit Kat and buying Johnny anything and everything that had calories.

There was the sound of machines failing and then the lights cut out. Natalie peered up at the ceiling. Pierce and Shaundi looked around, startled. Nekane sighed and tossed her Kit Kat at Natalie, who caught it and opened it.

“Ronin.” Was all Natalie offered as explanation as she ate the chocolate. Nekane sighed and pulled out her SMGs. Carlos exited the men’s room with confusion clear as day on his face. “Someone wants to see Johnny dead.”

The door to Johnny’s room burst open and a woman, blue from head to toe, rolled out a stretcher with a pistol firmly aimed up.

“We’re leaving.” Adrianne laughed.

“Hell ya!” Johnny replied.

Nekane turned to Natalie. “When did Blue get here?”

Natalie shrugged noncommittally. “His girlfriend and her best friend is dead. Their other best friend has been stabbed. Why do you think I didn't say anything?”

“I wasn’t going to quiz her.” Nekane rolled her eyes.

“Uh huh.” Natalie threw the wrapper on the ground and pulled out her shotgun. “Say whatever you want. I’m gonna help Gat get gone.” She snorted at her own unintentional joke.

“That wasn’t funny.”

“It wasn’t intended to be. Just kinda slipped out.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Carlos cut in. “But Adrianne’s using herself as a shield and Johnny’s incapacitated. Do you think we should help now?”

“Right, right.” Natalie pumped her shotgun. All four of them watched in slow motion as Johnny rolled across the end of the hall with Adrianne sitting on the handlebars. She had an assault rifle and was spraying for all she was worth, giggling the whole way. Johnny tossed a hand grenade that just sat there, with no pin. After their heads stopped the swivel they had acquired when they followed the duo, their gazes focused on the grenade. They were at a safe distance, but it was still a problem. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on which side of the gang war you were on, some Ronin came conveniently along the same path as the two murdering psychopaths and stepped on the impromptu mine. They could hear Johnny’s cry of joy as the rival gang members exploded

Natalie was leaning against the wall of the waiting room, chatting quietly with Pierce and Shaundi. Nekane watched them boredly as she waited for the vending machine to spit up what she paid for. She kind of felt bad that Johnny, who was used to greasy fast food in mass quantities, was stuck on shitty salads and even worse tasting meat inside this hospital. So, she was here, buying herself a Kit Kat and buying Johnny anything and everything that had calories.

There was the sound of machines failing and then the lights cut out. Natalie peered up at the ceiling. Pierce and Shaundi looked around, startled. Nekane sighed and tossed her Kit Kat at Natalie, who caught it and opened it.

“Ronin.” Was all Natalie offered as explanation as she ate the chocolate. Nekane sighed and pulled out her SMGs. Carlos exited the men’s room with confusion clear as day on his face. “Someone wants to see Johnny dead.”

The door to Johnny’s room burst open and a woman, blue from head to toe, rolled out a stretcher with a pistol firmly aimed up.

“We’re leaving.” Adrianne laughed.

“Hell ya!” Johnny replied.

Nekane turned to Natalie. “When did Blue get here?”

Natalie shrugged noncommittally. “His girlfriend and her best friend is dead. Their other best friend has been stabbed. Why do you think I didn't say anything?”

“I wasn’t going to quiz her.” Nekane rolled her eyes.

“Uh huh.” Natalie threw the wrapper on the ground and pulled out her shotgun. “Say whatever you want. I’m gonna help Gat get gone.” She snorted at her own unintentional joke.

“That wasn’t funny.”

“It wasn’t intended to be. Just kinda slipped out.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Carlos cut in. “But Adrianne’s using herself as a shield and Johnny’s incapacitated. Do you think we should help now?”

“Right, right.” Natalie pumped her shotgun. All four of them watched in slow motion as Johnny rolled across the end of the hall with Adrianne sitting on the handlebars. She had an assault rifle and was spraying for all she was worth, giggling the whole way. Johnny tossed a hand grenade that just sat there, with no pin. After their heads stopped the swivel they had acquired when they followed the duo, their gazes focused on the grenade. They were at a safe distance, but it was still a problem. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on which side of the gang war you were on, some Ronin came conveniently along the same path as the two murdering psychopaths and stepped on the impromptu mine. They could hear Johnny’s cry of joy and Adrianne’s insane laughter as the rival gang members.

“We need to leash how much firepower those two have access to.” Natalie muttered. “And we better make sure to find out what their favourite foods and places to eat are so we stay on their good side.”

“Good plan.” Carlos agreed.

* * *

 

“They’re cr-AZY!” One of the Saints muttered to another as the Bosses and all three Lieutenants exited the elevator. “I’ve never seen two people who are more psycho than those two.”

“No kidding. They were talking about what their favourite type of missile is and why. _Locos_ , if you ask me.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Both of the Saints startled and snapped around to see Johnny Gat smirking like mad, supported by his arm around a psychopath’s shoulders. The Blue Boss was beside him, cackling, her free arm circling his waist. “As you were.”

“ _Ai caramba_.”

“That doesn’t even begin to cover it.” Carlos muttered as he tailed the nuts Boss and her second-in-command.

* * *

Nekane popped into the Red Light loft to pick up some of the extra RPG ammo Adrianne always had stored there as well as a few grenades and satchel charges. Despite it only being a very, very small one-room apartment, there were usually four or five Saints hanging around for absolutely no reason. Today, there weren’t. And the explanation was on the bed.

The chair from the entertainment centre had been pulled over to the massive pimp-styled bed. Adrianne had been sitting in it, apparently, but now she was slumped over her legs and laying on the bed. Johnny was passed out on the expensive mattress in sweatpants and fresh bandages. He was partially curled around her, his hand on her arm. They looked messy and exhausted, but cute, in a strange way.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” Nekane whispered. As she pulled open the door, she was stopped by Johnny’s voice.

“That’d be nice, if you don’t mind.”

 


	6. Old Dogs, Old Tricks, New Toys

Adrianne and Johnny fell onto the couch in Purgatory in a breathless, laughing, ash-covered heap.

“I don’t . . . know about you . . .” Johnny grinned like a fool. “but I thought . . . that was fuckin’ . . . ooh, awesome.”

“Akuji isn’t going to live that shit down.” Adrianne laughed. “That’s for fuckin’ sure.”

“Damn straight.”

The two maniacs righted themselves, brushing the soot off of their clothes and the couch before collapsing back onto it.

“It sucks to be Shogo, though. His dad is more pissed about me killing that bastard of a swordsman than he is about the fact we’re killing his minions in fuckin’ droves.”

“As long as I’m the one doin’ it, I don’t give a shit.” Johnny shrugged. “But I certainly don’t envy him.”

“You two bastards torched that hotel, didn’t you?” Natalie asked, materializing in front of them.

“And if we did?” Johnny’s head rolled over his shoulders as he looked at his other Boss.

“I like the method. Nice message.”

“What can I say? I like explosions.” Johnny shrugged and Adrianne made a helpless motion that just screamed ‘Ditto’.

 

 


	7. No Rest For . . .

All of the major players of the Saints were there, but Johnny and Adrianne were right up front. Blue had laid down a single black rose. Johnny laid down a bouquet.

“You two have humiliated my family for the last time!”

Adrianne peeked over at Johnny, noting the lack of reaction to Shogo’s appearance and outburst. So, contrary to her character, she remained silent.

“Leave, little boy.” Johnny replied, voice low and emotionless, despite the heaviness in his stance and his heart over finally facing down the fact that Aisha was well and truly dead.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you!”

“Fuck off, Akuji. I’m not killing anyone at ‘Ish’s funeral. Tonight, tomorrow . . . you name a time and I will gladly fuck you up . . . but not now.” There was a dark, weighted feel to his voice and Adrianne bowed her head.

“How noble. Nobility is sorely overrated.”

Nekane and Natalie, on either side of Johnny, pulled out their trademark weapons. Adrianne stepped in front her her best friend and fired a shot into the engine of the annoying bastard’s bike. Nekane with Carlos and Natalie with Pierce and Shaundi on either side of them prevented any fire from reaching them. Adrianne caught Shogo by surprise and dragged him over to Johnny, who was standing stock still in the same position as before.

“Where are you taking me?! Let me go!”

Adrianne kept herself firmly in check and hauled the boy fully to his feet before throwing him towards Johnny. Gat took one solid, practised, rage-fueled step forwards and laid Shogo on his back with a punch square in the face.

“Get up.” The tone was chilling and cold, more so than the rain that poured over them. Shogo tried for a kidney kick, but Johnny caught his leg and smashed his elbow into the boy’s knee. Shogo cried out in pain and barely managed to keep himself upright. He was knocked back down, however, by Gat’s precise and professional headbutt. “Get up.”

Shogo got back onto his feet, to his credit, and limped back a couple of steps. He swung out and connected rather pathetically with Johnny’s jaw. The murderer paused for a second before ramming his own fist into the Akuji’s face, then bringing the same visage down on his knee, sending the boy spiralling into a tombstone, facing the groomed grass of the cemetery.

“Get up.” His voice was even colder, if possible, than before. Maybe knowing that Shogo was actually a genuinely pathetic fighter made scorn mix in with the anger.

“Please, stop.” Shogo begged.

“Not so fun when you’re not fighting someone who isn’t tied to a chair, is it?” Fury, scorn and pain were all evident, but vengeance was overpowering.

“I didn’t kill her!” Shogo screamed.

“You ordered it.” All the pent up aggression came out in one fell swoop as Johnny punched Shogo so hard in the face that he was sent through the tombstone he was clutching.

“I’m . . . sorry.” Shogo whimpered.

“Well, that brings her back, doesn’t it?” Adrianne, having known Johnny the longest and still alive to tell, could honestly say she’d never heard that amount of venom and animosity from him. He hauled the young Akuji over to a nearby coffin and threw him on the ground. “You couldn’t even let her have a burial, you fucking piece of shit!”

Johnny flipped the coffin on its side and dumped out the body of a middle-aged woman. He left the lid open. Shogo’s eyes widened in realization and fear. Adrianne followed Johnny closely, but silently, moving around him to the pile of dirt on the other side of the coffin. She watched the interaction without mercy or pity. Nekane fell grimly silent and Natalie seemed taken aback by the sheer brutality and hatred.

“Oh, no.” The asian Boss whispered breathily.

“No, please. . . no . . .” Shogo begged, his voice low with fear. Johnny ripped him from the ground and threw him in, slamming the oak lid back into place. “Kill me! But don’t do this!”

Natalie watched in absolute horror as Adrianne wordlessly tossed Johnny a shovel. They were actually going to go through with this. Johnny smashed down the lever that lowered the casket and both Blue and Gat watched it descend.

“Just kill me, damn it! Don’t do this!” Nekane winced at the desperation in Shogo’s voice and Natalie was simply staring in abject, appalled horror. He started to scream and pant in terror. Johnny’s mouth just settled in a grim line as he took his first shovelful of dirt. Adrianne looked over to him, then joined in the labour.

“We should just go.” Carlos whispered hoarsely, his voice taken from the display of brutality and insensitivity.

“Yeah.” Nekane took the traumatized Natalie’s hand and the Spaniard led all of the present Saints, Johnny and Adrianne aside, out of the cemetery and back to their vehicles.

That night, there wasn’t one Saints that didn’t leave Purgatory drunk, high, or both.

 


	8. It's Never The Fall, Is It?

“Have a safe trip, Mr. Wong.” Adrianne smiled, closing the door.

“He wishes you prosperity and luck.” The translator nodded and Wong smiled at her. “Goodbye, Miss Asphodel.”

“Goodbye, Wong.” She shut the door and watched her old friend and ex-employer drive away.

“Good to see some of our old Stilwater is still alive and well, eh?” Nekane smiled. “And your last name is Asphodel?”

“Uh, yeah. My mother was apparently Greek. She didn’t sign the father’s name or didn’t know it.” Adrianne shrugged. “Makes no difference now, does it?”

“I don’t think-” Nekane practically snarled as her phone went off. “Give me a moment?”

“Take your time.” Adrianne sat down on a bench and looked out over the water. Johnny wandered over and they started idle conversation.

“What is it?! . . . Ok . . . Look, where are you? . . . Meet me at the Hotel Penthouse, we’ll talk more there . . . This is really not the time . . . I’ve gotta talk with Blue. Just hang out there. There should be more than enough people not to make the wait awkward. Just be patient, please . . . Thanks. I’ll see you there. Bye.”

“That so?” Johnny raised an eyebrow at Adrianne.

“Yeah. Wong’s safe, though, and with how fast that ship’s going down, Akuji’s already dead.”

“Thank fuckin’ Christ.” Johnny muttered. “That guy was a real pain in the ass.

“No kidding.” Adrianne murmured in reply. She looked back up to Nekane. “Who was that?”

“Carlos.” The Spaniard sighed. “I gotta talk with him.”

“Go, then. I got my bike. I’ll get us home.”

“Take Johnny instead.” Nekane declined. “But we gotta talk later.”

“You’re not breaking up with me, are you?”

“Don’t be a moron.”

“I’m sorry, Blue, but she is.” Johnny informed her sadly. “But I am a certified grief counselor. You can come to me anytime.”

“To . . . or for?” Adrianne winked at him.

“Preferably both.”

“And _I’m_ the disgusting one.” Nekane rolled her eyes.

“Oh, you are.” Adrianne smirked wickedly. “I never said anything about me. A difference between filthy dirty and disgusting, right?”

“Fuck off.”

“Gladly.”

* * *

Though Nekane was right, Carlos didn’t stop to talk to any of them. He went straight upstairs with a nod to the bartender. It felt like an eternity, yet without enough time. Like she said, Nekane arrived soon after.

“Carlos?” She asked softly, standing awkwardly by the door. “Are you alright?”

“I don’t know, Nekane.” His face was pained, and what he was about to say obviously held some weight with him. However, he shut his mouth and kept silent.

“Carlos, about the other night-”

“I don’t understand you, Boss. You wouldn’t even let me speak that night, and then the next day, you acted as if nothing changed.”

“It didn’t really, no.” Nekane said flatly. “To add to that, I had the bigger problems of Aisha’s death, Johnny getting stabbed with a sword and Adrianne’s sociopathic killing spree. Most women just go shopping to max out their credit cards, but not her, no. That was more of a fiasco than it seemed.”

“But, what, I was enough of a distraction for you that night that you would ignore her calls?” Carlos hissed back. “I was a good enough, naive little toy to ignore probably the most important calls you could have ever taken?!”

Nekane’s reply was ripped from her throat. His retort had hit her as hard as any physical blow she’d taken. “You weren’t a distraction. You were a focus.”

“So, what? We just shut up about it and walk the fuck away with an ‘I’ll call you’ that we both know will never happen?”

“What? I’m not allowed to enjoy myself from time to time?”

“I don’t want to be used! If you just wanted sex, you shouldn’t have dicked around with flirtation and pretty words! You should have just told me!”

“If I’d have told you, then it would just have stayed sex! Just like it did with Johnny and Blue! You think I want some casual shit like that?!” Even as the sentence started, she knew she said too much.

“What did you want me to think?” Carlos whispered, his voice falling from the upset yell it had been earlier. Even as he remained sitting on the bed, she collapsed in a chair near the door. “If it wasn’t one night, then what the hell was it?”

“Every time you have sex is just one night, Carlos. There is never a guarantee that it’ll happen again. I was testing the waters. See where you were.”

“Well, shit. I thought flirting was testing the waters.” He stood. “My maldito apologies.”

“Carlos, what were you expecting? A confession of love?”

Carlos stopped at the door. He turned to look back at her with a dark scowl on his face. She didn’t like the look. “I know better now.”

* * *

“Your phone’s vibrating like crazy.” Johnny warned.

“Shit!” Adrianne cursed, balancing the heavy box on her hip. She put in her Bluetooth and hit the connect button. “Hello?”

“Boss, you got a moment?”

“Sure. Carlos. Whatcha thinkin’?”

Johnny gave her a look at read: What’s going on? She shrugged helplessly in reply.

“You probably know this, but I met with Nekane over at her apartment today.”

“I heard your name and the meeting place earlier today, yeah. What went down? Does it have anything to do with the night at the loft?”

“Do you know why she’s so fucking insensitive and heartless?”

“Now, that would lead back to a guy that would make Shaundi blush.”

“If you’ve got time, I’ve got time. Nekane killed all the Brotherhood and Maero. I’ve got nothing to do.”

“Tell ya what. I’m clearing out Aisha’s house with Johnny right now. When we get done, I’ll call you up and go for a beer, alright?”

“Oh! I’ll let you go. But I’ll take you up on the offer. Talk to you later, Boss.”

“Anytime, Carlos. Ciao.” She clicked the Disconnect button.

“What was that about?”

“Nekane was being stupid.” Adrianne rolled her eyes as she handed another box off to Johnny. “She may not love the kid, but she sure is fuckin’ close. I’m sure she made him believe that sex is no shit to her. She does this every-fuckin’-time. And just like that badass saviour of a friend, I’ll make sure this doesn’t blow over too badly.”

“Who was the bastard you were talkin’ about?”

“Do you remember Alessandros?”

 

 


	9. Mending Hopelessness

Carlos didn’t know if he should be surprised that Blue took him from the bar at Purgatory to another, less glamourous place. He was still slightly skittish of the places the Brotherhood had been and wasn’t too keen on ever driving around on that circuit again.

However, Blue had rolled up in her Phoenix with a cooler in the back and a couple of coolie cups. He didn’t question and didn’t think to until the lower docks came into view.

“Boss?”

“Nekane didn’t think to tell you, probably, that we all helped avenge you in our own way. While Nekane went on a Brotherhood mass-murder spree, me and Natalie kept your little crush alive.” She raised a hand to silence him as she pulled up to the docks. She got out of the car and hauled the cooler onto the beach, laying out two towels from Purgatory on the sand of the industrial shore. “And that meant taking care of not only her physical attributes, but her mental ones as well.”

“I don’t understand, Boss.”

She sighed, taking a beer from the icy chest. “There was this guy, when she first joined the Saints, that she was going out with. His name was Alessandros. He was a real asshole type. I mean, for fuck’s sake, his hair was bulletproof! I had just hooked up with Johnny for the first time right around then. Anyways, she came into the Saints when she was fucking this guy. She never said nothing about him, never really mentioned him. The only reason we ever found out was because he chased her back down into the church. Maybe he forgot he was in a room full of gangbangers, but he threatened her with everything, rape included. He spouted some shit about her fucking around with other guys. He had her by the hair and was in the process of dragging her out when me and Johnny filled him with lead. Needless to say, she screamed and fought us when we pulled her out of there. She was hysterical. I slapped her across the face and talked her down. She crashed at my place for a week before returning to the church. When she came back, she thanked us and life went on.”

“I kinda don’t see how this would apply to me.” Carlos said sheepishly. Blue smiled kindly down at him.

“You're still so soft. So cute and naive. I really hope you stay that way, even with all this gang bullshit.” She took another drink of the beer in her hand. “Anyways, this is where it applies to you. After Alessandros, she went to the other extreme. Instead of having an abusive, controlling boyfriend, she found a man that let her do whatever she wanted and made absolutely no qualms about her whatsoever. After Alessandros, I had hauled her to a . . . well, a doctor for women’s plumbing. Turns out she had some damage that would take some time to heal. Nothing major, just a little tearing that would heal nicely if she let it. So, not wanting to fuck herself over, she waited the amount of time the doctor said and got the go ahead. Well, she went home to tell Max, her man at the time, to find him with not one, not two, but three hookers. That’s not even the punchline. Turns out, when those six hands were stripping him, his phone pocket-dialed someone. Nekane called me in a flurry, so I got here in time to see the spectacle. No word to lie, about ten minutes after I got there, with me and Nekane in the hall, this motherfucker’s wife shows up.”

Carlos’ face was a mix of pity and shock. “No way.”

She laughed ironically. “I was there for the whole fuckin’ thing. Nekane still doesn’t know, but his wife hired the Saints as hitmen to kill him. Me and Natalie fought tooth and nail against each other to get the contract, but Johnny overruled us both at the time, being a lieutenant and all, and took the contract himself. All I can say without breaking any promises is that we never did see him again.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah. And there you are, being so new to all this, not really understanding why she would give you her body, but not her emotions. I’ll tell you why. Like with the inner works, her body will heal. It always does. That bitch pulled out of a fucking boat explosion with nary a scar to show for it. Her emotions, anybody’s emotions, don’t heal like that. I’m not saying I have a solution for you, Carlos, but I just gave you the explanation. Can I give you some advice, too?”

“Yeah.” Carlos nodded, watching their blue leader with rapt attention.

“Let her come to you. Show her, when she does come, that you want her too. When it comes to feelings and shit, she’s like a skittish horse. She’ll bauk and run from you. You gotta let her feel you out, then, when she gets close enough, you start gentle. Ease into it, you know?”

“Did you ever have bastard boyfriends like her?”

“Only Troy Bradshaw when I joined up, but what can I say? I was stupid, he was my lieutenant and it was only one or two nights I don’t really remember. He was just a fucktard in general. Then I hooked up with Johnny, and, well, he blew my mind. Come to think of it, I haven’t had sex since Johnny and I fell apart.”

“Huh.” Carlos looked down at the ground. He flinched when Blue punched him in the arm and handed him another beer.

“Don’t look so sullen, you energetic bastard, you.” She smiled brightly at him. “Just get drunk and enjoy the moonlight on the water. I know this isn’t the best beach in Stilwater, but it is the quietest and the one with the best view over the water.”

“Thanks, Boss.”

“You know you can call me Blue, right?”

“What, no name?”

“Sorry bro,” she winked at him. “but I don’t intend to sleep with you.”

“How did you know about that?”

“I have my methods.”

* * *

Nekane watched Adrianne laugh at Carlos’ expense as they entered Purgatory. The small hispanic man was hungover like a dog and he glared daggers at Adrianne for drinking more than him, yet being the better to show for it.

“How do you do that?”

“Years and years of contests with Johnny and being as sick as you are.” Adrianne chuckled, but smiled genuinely and warmly at him. She pulled out a pill, a pill Nekane recognized as Midol, and shooed her smaller friend over to the bar. “Take a shot of whiskey with that pill and all of your hangover problems will disappear in an hour.”

“Thanks, Boss.” He nodded. She patted him on the back a bit before going over to Shaundi. The Spaniard didn’t know what those two were up to, but if Adrianne was involved, it either wasn’t any good or shit was getting blown to hell. To be honest, both was also a pretty viable option.

When she turned her attention back to Carlos, she found him conversing with a fellow Saint. It shouldn’t have made the Spaniard tick. It shouldn’t have made her vicious or angry and feeling violent, possessive urges rise inside. It most definitely shouldn’t have made her jealous.

What were you expecting? A confession of love?

I know better, now.

She was doing it to herself again. She was sabotaging everything like she had since Max. Thinking back on Max made her think of Alessandros. She shuddered, but her memories didn’t linger on him. They went back to David, the Mourning Woods Cemetery and that filthy, fucked-up town she came from. Those fucking kids . . .

That also made her think of Julius and all of the original Saints. She remembered Adrianne with purple and black hair with the matching makeup. She remembered Natalie when the asian was more talkative and seeing their whole world line up into perfection, only to be blown into nothingness. Literally. The Saints may have survived if she hadn’t insisted Adrianne and Natalie follow her onto that boat. There it was again. Her oldest friend, predating even Adrianne, who had been the bitch that killed the gangbangers trying to kill her. The psycho had practically begged Julius to let her join, and in that instant her life completely changed. But that one nagging reminder never left her: guilt. David never stopped haunting her, and that grimy, shitty town with those kids to match.

Adrianne had asked her about her childhood once, and Nekane had told her a watered down version of the truth. She had told the blue-haired, murderous freak that she had been raised by a group of kids on a street in some city she never knew the name of. When she had grown up, they tried to force her to do stuff she didn’t want to and she ran away to Stilwater, the closest town she could make it to on that tank of gas. From there, she had stated, it was history. The look in Blue’s eyes told her that Adrianne knew that she was severely minimizing what the other knew. To both the Spaniard’s relief and Adrianne’s credit, the woman took the answer with a shrug.

The truth was much different. As a baby, she was abandoned without rhyme or reason and left to die in a bush on the outskirts of the poorer sections of town. That said something towards her parent(s) and their standard of living. A group of three boys and two girls were playing hide and seek a few hours after the abandonment and one of the girls (who also happened to be the nicest and kindest of the group,) had chosen said bush to hide in. Her name had been Fernanda. She had taken the baby and called off the game, debating with Mia, Diego, Mateo and Bruno about what to do with the helpless little thing. When a suspicious stranger asked them what they were doing, Mia replied that they were trying to care for the baby, but were unable to do so. The stranger had given them enough money for formula and diapers and pointed them in the direction of a supermarket where both could be acquired. They had wished them the best of luck and continued on their way. The five children had then used her as a way of earning income as recompense for her care. When she was old enough, Bruno and Mateo had the brilliant idea to make her beg on the streets for money. Fernanda and Mia were firmly against the idea, but the other two threatened to take away what monetary support they had been giving. Diego, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, was assigned to her undercover care as she was put to work. It was around this time, when she was able to do most things on her own, that she questioned Fernanda one day as to why she didn’t have a name. Fernanda had replied that she did, and that the kind hispanic girl had been calling her Nekane for years. Not the usual method of name introduction, but it happened. When she was fourteen, according to the “birthday” Fernanda had assigned her, Bruno brought her with him, oddly, to a meeting with another man. The man had eyed her appraising, and she flinched away from his gaze bashfully. After that, she actually started to listen and absorb what they were saying. That night, she went to sleep with Fernanda and Mia and asked them what “prostitution” meant and what a “hooker” was. When asked where she had heard it, she revealed that Bruno was planning to make her a “hooker” for the other man. Fernanda and Mia immediately took her hands and lead her to an old garage on the outskirts of town, close to where her abandonment had taken place. The women had bought her a cheap, rusty, piece-of-shit car and a tank of gas. They reminded her of all the impromptu driving lessons she’d been on and told her to follow the “big road” until she reached a turnoff labelled “Stilwater”. They both hugged her and said goodbye. She drove away from them, confused and disoriented. However, when she made it to Stilwater, she didn’t know what to do or where to go. She drove around the city until she ran out of gas. That happened to be in the now-familiar Mourning Woods Cemetery. When the car stalled out and stopped completely, she just shrugged and locked the doors, crawling into the backseat and falling asleep. She was awoken the next morning by the elderly woman who owned the cemetery and asked if she was ok. When the answer was unsure, the woman, Mrs. Eslida, took her into her house, which was situated on the far side of the property. The food she ate there was better than anything she’d ever had in her whole life. She learned to speak English well under Mrs. Eslida’s teachings and the her generous caretaker gave her some chores as recompense for living with her. She was to cut all the grass every week and keep the tombstones clean and free of overgrown grass and to pull out any weeds she came across. All in all, not too bad of a life. She was allowed to roam anywhere in Stilwater that she wanted, as long as she met curfew. It was in these journeys that she met a young white man by the name of David Holter, who came from a higher middle-class family. They became friends very, very quickly and soon became boyfriend and girlfriend. He was the same boy who took her virginity. All too soon, tragedy struck him. In a drive-by shooting, his whole family had been killed and most of his house was destroyed. The day after learning of this news and Mrs. Eslida kindly letting David sleep on their couch, the blond was nowhere to be seen. She chose to do her chores earlier this week because of his disappearance and went around with the scissors, clearing any little bit of debris from the tombstones. That’s when she found David, face down in the water lapping at the edge of the beach.  

She was snapped from these dark thoughts by the very Saint that was sitting with Carlos as she leaned over to kiss the little man.

Nekane wasn’t stupid, though, and saw Adrianne practically teleport to a stand. The Spaniard had never had a better friend than the ‘white trash’. But what really grabbed her attention was the subject of her fascination.

Carlos reared back, almost falling off the barstool with the most adorable, confused face. His brows were furrowed together and his mouth was downturned with a strange form of disapproval that bordered on repelled. However, to his credit, he didn’t make a scene of it. He cocked his head questioningly and the Saint just flushed and looked away. She smiled weakly at him and got up quietly, going to join another crowd. He started after her for a moment and Nekane felt panic knock the wind out of her like it had hit her in the stomach with a two by four. Carlos, oblivious to Nekane’s heartbeat stopping, just shook his head and turned back around to face the bartender with a shrug.

“He’s too social for your own good.” Nekane started at the voice and the hand on her shoulder, only to be caught by Johnny. The asian man raised an eyebrow, but let out a little smirk. “Come with me.”

Diligently, she rose and followed Johnny outside. When they got out there, He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and handed her his whiskey. She peered up at him.

“Take a deep breath, take a sip, feel it burn down your throat, then let your breath out slowly through your nose.” His instructions were simple, and she repeated them in her head as she listened. To her surprise, her body loosened and she became more level-headed. The contrast between the bitter midnight air and Johnny and his drink’s warmth must have helped too, because she sighed in contentment. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but Blue’s second-in-command just stole the title of ‘Best People-Reader’ from her. “Drink as much of it as you need. Don’t worry about me.”

“Thank you, Johnny.”

“Don’t worry about it.” His grip tightened for a moment. They stayed in silence until she managed to calm down enough to return to the club. Johnny returned with an empty glass.

The elder Saint patted her on the back as they re-entered Purgatory. She threw him a smile as he went to Natalie. She took another deep breath and walked over to Carlos. She took the seat the female Saint had occupied previously.

“Whiskey on the rocks, please.” Nekane ordered. The bartender nodded and Carlos looked over to her. She smiled.

“Finally decided to join me?” Carlos said.

“Yeah.” She meant to say something witty, but Adrianne and Johnny’s attitudes must have started to wear off on her, because she was just blunt and to the point.

“How have you been?” He asked.

“Bored. Frustrated. Wanting.” She paused and looked over to him. “Lonely.”

“Lonely?” That adorable confusion was back and she couldn’t help but smile softly.

“Lonely.”

“I don’t believe you. Of every Saint in this room, even above Shaundi, you could and can have any man you want. Or any woman, for that matter.”

She laughed at that. “Yeah, right. Have you seen Shaundi on a pole? Or Adrianne, for that matter? She doesn’t look like it with her Dominatrix bondage top on, but the girl’s got more flexibility than she has a right to.”

Carlos threw a look over his shoulder. “You’re right. I don’t see it.”

“She can hang upside down on the pole by her thighs.”

“Still nothing.”

Nekane laughed, fully and genuinely. Despite still being slightly bitter with her over just assuming he was a pompous, abusive or self-absorbed man, Carlos couldn’t help but watch it float away as the Spaniard, the hard-ass, laugh like a teenager on her first date. He laughed with her, overcome by how humourous she could actually be.

“Kiss him.”

Both of them were utterly surprised when Nekane’s body took Natalie’s order without question. She caught his lips with hers and both of them were silenced. The Asian sauntered away, her role accomplished in this phase of her and Adrianne’s master plan. Johnny strolled over casually to her, both of them joining Adrianne and Shaundi on one of the couches. One with a perfect view of the bar.

Even as Nekane leaned forwards, her lips locked with his, her hands occupied with supporting her weight, Carlos’ callused but tender fingertips gently brushed against and down her jaw. The sweet, thoughtful action made her move forwards more, making Carlos take some of her weight into his own hands. He was being gentle and not pushing her even slightly from the spot she was most comfortable in. It was here that emotions started to get tricky. You see, her now-freed hand had come up to cup the back of his neck. It was there that she felt rough, uneven layers of scarring.

Carlos shared many features with David, the man she’s loved most up until about twenty minutes ago. He was innocent, carefree, kind, considerate, mindful, intelligent, resourceful and loyal. That was where the similarities ended. David and Carlos both had tragedy befall them, both in very different ways.

David’s family had been nonsensically slaughtered by a gang war and his suffering was knowing they were dead and he would be alone all of his life. He had tried to comprehend and understand Nekane’s own life and failed, but he consoled her the best he could and never stopped trying to follow where her story was headed. When he was faced with her bleakness, having known what life was like before, couldn’t handle the mere thought, let alone the physical aspect of survival.

Carlos, however, was much different. Carlos’ suffering hadn’t been around her or out of her control. They had been for her. He had placed himself in harm’s way, and often been harmed in the process to see that she made it out alive and unharmed. Their escape, for example. Carlos willingly got stabbed just to be in the infirmary long enough to talk to her about a possible escape. Then he had gone and traversed the streets, roaming for information. It was not less than once that he came back with a slice down his arm that he tried to hide from her. He never let her coddle him or care for him, yet he was taking complete responsibility for hers. The most recent made her heart rend. Carlos had been abducted and made to suffer not only the horror of being dragged unrelentingly behind a truck by his ankles, but also the torment of recovery. All of his suffering, done for her.

She pulled herself to a stand, sadly breaking their contact. She offered him a hand and he took it, letting her head him to the Boss’ bedroom on the floor above. When the door was closed, she pulled him in again, kissing him softly, and with patience. She lay his hand on her hips and her arms wound themselves around his neck.

“Don’t do that kind of shit to me again.” Nekane murmured into his ear as his lips wandered from hers down her neck. She groaned in approval, removing his beanie and running her own not-so-smooth and not-so-soft hands along his near-bald head.

“Do what?” He breathed along her sensitive skin.

“Be within touching distance of another female who isn’t me ever again.”

He chuckled, capturing her lips again. “You don’t need to worry, Nekane.”

* * *

 

Adrianne Asphodel, Natalie Chu, Johnny Gat, Pierce Washington and Shaundi all watched Nekane the Ever-Nameless and Carlos Mendoza sneak off upstairs like teenagers at a houseparty.

“I’d have never thought I’d see the day.” Pierce murmured.

“That’s ‘cause you’re too busy listening to yourself talk.” Shaundi supplied. Adrianne, Johnny and Natalie burst into hysterical laughter at the black man’s expense.

* * *

The night was winding down as time approached four in the morning. Adrianne and Shaundi looked over at each other and nodded. Blue grabbed Natalie and Shaundi grabbed Pierce. Their DJ flicked on something random.

“What are you doing?”

“Nat, we’re gonna dance.” Adrianne smiled.

“That’s what you have Gat for.” Natalie stated blandly.

“He doesn’t dance in public.” She rolled her eyes, pulling the reluctant asian onto the floor. “Besides, you’re much more fun.”

“Ha. I fucking doubt that.” Natalie snapped.

Adrianne winced. “Your swearing is still so foreign. And no, you’re not as fun as Johnny, but my definitions of fun with you two are completely different.”

“Blowing things up and watching strippers versus playing cards and cleaning guns? I know for a fact that I’m not fun by your definition.”

“Are you me? Now shut the fuck up and dance with me, damn it!”

Shaundi eyed Blue as she pulled the Asian onto the dancefloor. “Please?”

“No.”

“You’re a sour puss.”

“Call me what you want, Cheerleader, but I ain’t getting on that dance floor.”

“You’re an asshole.”

Shaundi rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. She yanked him with all her strength. He practically fell after her as she dragged him into the floor.

“Shaundi! The hell, man?!”

“Shut up.”

The drug-riddled lieutenant and the Blue Boss both kissed their charges on the cheek and started to spin them around. Somehow, in the mass, begrudging confusion of their dancing, Shaundi wound up in Adrianne’s arms. That meant that Pierce’s new partner was none other than Natalie Chu. As Adrianne and Shaundi spun around them, Shaundi slapped Natalie’s ass. Adrianne leaned past Shaundi and got in close to Natalie’s ear.

“Kiss him.”

Natalie swore in her head as she propelled her hips forwards in retaliation to Shaundi’s unexpected sexual flirtation and smashed her lips into Pierce’s because of Adrianne’s meddling. Fucking bitch used the same tactic on me that I just used on Nekane! I shouldn't have trusted her when she said it was foolproof. I’m going to fucking kill her as soon as this awesome kiss stops. . . . . Maybe not . . . Maybe letting her get away just this once won’t be so bad . . .

Pierce didn’t know what to do. Did she want to . . . ? He never knew with her. She was so confusing because she never said enough, while he knew he was confusing because he said too much. He wondered if that was the idea.

Fuck it.

He went for the kill. If he died in the process, at the very least he could say he tried.

To his surprise and elation, Natalie seemed to have given up whatever thoughts she had and just surrendered to her body. It seemed, though, that her personality transferred directly into her sexual nature, because she was controlling and controlled. She knew what she wanted, and she was going to get it her way. It was actually pretty refreshing.

He didn’t even know when they had made it upstairs and she pushed him into his bedroom. She straddled him and he just knew that he was going to stay on his back the whole night.

* * *

Shaundi and Adrianne watched with matching smirks as Pierce and Natalie disappeared the same way that Nekane and Carlos did earlier.

“Thanks for your help, Shaundi.” Adrianne said.

“No problem, Boss. Maybe he’ll stop whining.”

Adrianne snorted. “We both know we can only accomplish so much of the impossible. Maybe he’ll whine less, though.”

“I hope so.” Shaundi grabbed the hand of the first male Saint that passed her. He happened to be blond with blue eyes. Adrianne vaguely wondered if his name was Anthony. “Oh, and Boss?”

Adrianne looked down at her other, other, other, other lieutenant. “Yeah?”

Shaundi nodded towards Johnny. “Don’t go home alone tonight.” She winked and vanished upstairs with a man possibly named Anthony.

Blue chuckled at her friend’s friend’s antics and went to sit down beside her best male friend.

“Missions accomplished, I see.” Johnny stated, motioning towards the stairs.

“Yup.” She replied proudly. “Shaundi wants me to sleep with you.”

“Does she want it on camera?” Johnny raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t ask.”

He chuckled. “You think she would appreciate a tape?”

She laughed. “Only one way to find out.”

 

 


	10. Worst. Nostalga. Trip. Ever.

Adrianne’s Kenshin purred to a stop outside the Red Light loft. Johnny slid off the back.

“I don’t see why you drive this thing over here when we were literally four blocks away.”

“It’s a ‘I might need it later’ scenario.”

“You’re a vehicle hoarder?

“No.”

She pulled herself of her most beloved piece of machinery. She lead him into the loft and ordered the loitering men out and back to Purgatory. She sat down in a desk chair and Johnny took the seat in front of the tv. She took a small box from a locked compartment of the desk and passed it to her friend.

He raised an eyebrow, but opened it. There was a note right on top of the pile of pictures.

**Blue,**

**I know you’re under right now, but when you get out, this is for you. I’m sorry things had to go down the way they did. I really am. I figure that if you wake up from that coma of yours, you’ll show this is Nekane and Natalie too.**

**I cleared out the Church personally and things that “weren’t prevalent” tended to disappear. This is a collection of all the photographs any of the Saints had ever taken. I even got the ones from Dex when I threatened to release his name into the reports. This is the history of the Saints in picture form, Blue.**

**Look, I know this doesn’t make up for anything that happened and nothing I do ever will, short of letting Johnny dismember me with my badge.**

**I’ve done everything in my power to keep as much of the Saints’ business under wraps as I can. Despite it all, I became a Saint. The gang became my family. Being back with the police has the most disappointing feeling I’ve ever experienced. I hope one day you might come to understand what I’ve done, even if I know you’ll never forgive me. I’m starting to think I won’t either. Good luck.**

**Troy Bradshaw**

Johnny folded the note back into how it had been, feeling less than sympathetic towards the traitor. However, the first picture caught his attention.

It was of him and Adrianne before Nekane was found. She still had black and purple hair then, instead of just purple. She was dressed in those shitty racing pants she’d bought from Nobody Loves Me and that weirdo bondage get up with the chains across the chest. She wore a bondage bra with it too, if he remembered correctly. She had on punk boots that had a black sole with a purple leather body. She was laying on his desk in the church, inspecting the barrel portion of a GDHC pistol. He was sitting behind her in the image, looking at her as he refilled a clip for an assault rifle. The scene was so domestic, in the loosest sense of the word, and it made the fondest of memories return.

The next picture was of Nekane and Julius talking. It was taken from a distance, and if he’s right . . . Along the bottom of the picture, in red ink, 9029 is neatly written along the bottom. Only Johnny’s own camera left that number.

Many of the pictures are of various people caught in scandalous positions and were no doubt used or going to be used against the people at some point. That’s when he came across this one.

They were all out front of the church. He didn’t remember who took the picture, but Julius was right in the middle with Dex and Troy on one side, and himself and Adrianne on the other. He had his arm around her shoulders and her hand engulfed in his. There were a dozen or so other nameless faces surrounding them. This was back around the time that the Third Street Saints started to be remembered and respected.

The next picture had Julius up front again with Dex and Troy on the same side and Johnny himself in the same place, but with his arm around Aisha’s shoulders. Natalie knelt in front of Julius and Nekane in front of Dex. They looked practically no different. Adrianne was crouched before him, her hair completely purple. She was wearing a black and purple bondgae bra with a little scrap of material that was purple across it. It almost looked like someone cut a spaghetti strap top off just underneath her breasts. She had on black chaps with black boy-shorts underneath. She had a purple belt with it and purple accents. Her stripper heels were black and peeked out just beneath the leather pants. Her blue eyes shone even far enough for the camera to catch their radiance.

“Wasn’t the whole ‘Blue’ nickname thing because of your eyes?”

Adrianne looked up at him. “Yeah, it was. There was always this thing about them, apparently, that caught everyone’s attention. I think it was you who did it first, actually. Dex asked me my name, but I never gave it to him.”

He looked back down to the picture. It was kinda funny how his attention had focused on Adrianne’s change in appearance over how Aisha stood with him. He looked back up to the blue woman, who was looking down at her hands and watching them flex. It was ironic that while Aisha had been his desire and the woman he’d always wanted, Adrianne was the always there. Even when he started sleeping with her best friend, she never stopped watching his back and never started acting weird or standoffish to either of them. She’d even inadvertently saved his ass from death in the courtroom.

“Why would you show me this?” He asked softly. She shrugged without looking up.

“Dunno. Good memories? To know that if you want one of them or something, I got them. I don’t know why. I just did.”

“Have you shown Nekane or Natalie yet?”

“No. Nekki’s been too involved with Carlos and Natalie’s been busy with the Samedi.”

“Oh.” He looked back down at the box and replaced the pictures. He closed it and handed it back. She stored it away safely, the key to relock it disappearing back inside with all her other car keys. Do remote lock/unlock clickers, just keys.

“Would you mind if I took you somewhere?”

“ ‘Course not. Let’s roll.”

* * *

Carlos knocked on the door to the Red Light loft for the third time.

“Is the door open?” Nekane asked from her Shard. He tried the door.

“Locked tight.”

“Huh.” Carlos rejoined her on the bike, his one hand resting on her hip and his chin on her shoulder. He peered at her as if expecting her to voice her thoughts. “Well, it’s not wholly unusual.”

“I suppose it is Adrianne and Johnny. We just gotta watch the news for the latest sites of massive explosions.”

“Probably.” Nekane laughed. “Pull my phone out of my back pocket will you?”

“Sure. Here.”

“Thanks.” She quickly dialled a number.

“Sup.”

“Where are you?”

“Nowhere.”

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“Are you with anybody?”

“Johnny.”

“You’re being ridiculously difficult.”

“I’m busy.”

“That’s the longest answer I’ve gotten from you.”

“Bye.”

“Adr-” The phone clicked off and the operator tone started to sound. “Damn it.”

“What’s up?”

“She wouldn’t answer me.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

“She can bite me.” Nekane’s fingers flew again, typing another number from memory.

“Is there a problem?”

“Always the cautious one, Nat. No, there isn’t. Well, problem isn’t the correct term. I don’t know where Ad-Blue and Johnny are.”

“You do realize they could be on the loose with explosives. That is very much a problem.”

“I’m outside and I don’t see any plumes of smoke. I’m not even sure why I want to know.”

“ . . . They were alone most of last night and didn’t leave Purgatory until around six this morning. They are the oldest members of the Saints, Nekki. Sometimes people don’t ask to remember things.”

“The church?”

“It would be a good place to start. I’ll meet you there.”

“Where are we headed?” Carlos asked as he slid her phone back into her back pocket.

“The Stilwater Memorial Church.” The beloved Shard roared to life and disappeared down the street. 

* * *

Nekane and Natalie were both unnaturally quiet when they entered the church, like just being there was a privilege few had. As it was, the church was empty.

All the ghosts of times before the mass betrayal wandered before the two Bosses, while Carlos and Pierce stood behind them, unknowing of how much weight this place carried in proportion as to where they were today.

The two Bosses lead the men upstairs by a set of nice metal stairs hidden behind the buttresses of the church itself. As they lead them around, Adrianne and Johnny came into view.

The two didn’t seem to even notice the foursome as they slowly paced around the second floor. They stopped at some plaque and the voice of Julius swiped the ground from underneath the two Bosses. Johnny read the plaque, his lips a fine line of rage.

“He well and truly sold us out, didn’t he?” Johnny said quietly, but his voice echoed through the hollow and superficial church as Julius’ faded away.

“Yup.” Adrianne acknowledged sadly. “He gave up on us. As quickly as we formed, we fell.”

“And Dex?”

“Will die the second he steps foot back in Stilwater or the second he’s anywhere I am. I’ll make sure of it. Of everybody, his betrayal was the worst. Troy was never one of us. Julius gave this up for his life, but he disbanded the Saints so that we wouldn’t die too. Dex gave up the Saints not to save his own life, but for money. He was the real asshole.”

Johnny sighed and walked over to the banister, leaning over it like he was watching his memories from above. Adrianne stared at the floor for a moment before following him.

“Should I have waited?” She asked quietly. She was nervous, and it was apparent.

“There would never be a time when it didn’t hurt enough to visit this place.I could completely forget the betrayal, yet coming back here would bring it all back as if it never left. I guess now is as good a time as ever.”

They both stopped talking and looked down to the floor below.

“How long have you two been up to get this serious?” Nekane voiced, and it shattered the serenity the other two had. Adrianne visibly jumped and Johnny recoiled from the sound of her voice.

“We didn’t sleep.” Adrianne shrugged. “Shaundi said not to go home alone. So I brought Johnny with me. Didn’t think we’d stay until morning. What time is it, anyways?”

“Almost noon.”

“Shit.”

Johnny removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I wanna go.”

Adrianne looked back to him and her voice softened again. “Ok. Where to?”

“Anywhere but here.”

The same melancholic mood from Aisha’s funeral was back in his voice, his face and his movements. He lacked the vitality that made him who he was, and it was a miracle that neither of the elder Saints were huddled in a corner, hugging each other and sobbing like school children.

The blue-haired woman nodded and lead them all back out to the front of the church.

 

 


	11. Like It Never Stopped To Begin With

Neither Nekane or Natalie had tried to contact her or Johnny and she could honestly say she was happy because of it. They were sitting underneath the University docks, watching the waves and literally shooting at any idiots too drunk or high to recognize either them or their melancholic mood. So, that’s why Adrianne’s Raycaster was sitting just beyond them on the beach, blocking them off, pretty effectively, from the lively university nightlife.

They sat there, on an old bedsheet from Adrianne’s stash, watching the water move in, then out, with booze in their hands they weren’t really drinking.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Adrianne asked softly.

“Not really.”

“Didn’t think so.”

“Why’d you ask?”

“To make sure and to break this silence. We’re the party-goers, yet, we’re here, all quiet and shit.”

Johnny chuckled softly at her remark. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Still working on that drink?”

“Yeah.”

“ ‘Kay.”

“I was thinkin’ about you the other day.”

Adrianne looked sideways at him. “Fond memories of now-ashen buildings?”

“About how different you are to Aisha.”

“Oh.” She seemed to deflate a little bit. “Well, there’s always a need to upgrade, right?”

“What?”

“Nevermind. Go on with what you were saying before.”

“I just find it kinda funny, you know, how you two are truly at opposite ends of the spectrum. Even down to race. She was everything a lady is meant to be. She was classy, elegant and sophisticated. Kinda makes me wonder how I even stood a chance.”

“She was a good person.”

“One of the few things she had in common with you.”

“What else did we share?”

“Nobility, attitude, and me.”

“We never shared you, Johnny. She had you all along.”

“I dunno. You’re here, aren’t you?”

“I kept the friendship. She took the romance. Or sex, or whatever the hell we had going on.”

“No she didn’t.” Johnny scoffed. “You two had very little in common. Do you think Aisha would let me get away with something that comfortable?”

“Probably not. Classy, and all that.” It sounded like a jab at his earlier comment, and she even tossed him a half-assed sarcastic smirk. Inside, however, despite how much effort she put into suppressing the emotions that welled up, hurt made itself prevalent.

“That’s not what I meant.” It was like he could read her mind, but she kept up the easy charade anyways.

“Whatever. I’m a big girl, Johnny. Say what you gotta say. I’m listening.”

“I loved Aisha, I really did. But I miss you.”

“Earth to Johnny, I’m right here.” She snapped her fingers in front of his face and he scowled.

“Fuck off.”

“What are ya sayin’? You want to pick up again?” She toned down her comedy, because this obviously wasn’t the right time or place.

Johnny lay back on the blanket. He sighed. “I don’t know what I want.”

Adrianne nodded. “I got cha. What’s got ya coming back to me over findin’ some other woman like Aisha? Less attachment?”

“Less attachment?” He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Do you realize how much more I do for you than I’ve ever done for Aisha? How much more I trust you over anyone in this world? How much I’ve given you over the years? If I wanted another Aisha, I’d go get one. I don’t. I don’t want to be there just because she’s pretty and smart and the banter’s ok. I don’t want someone that I loved first as a body, then as a person. I did love her, just not the right way.”

“You gave her everything you were. If that didn’t satisfy her, Johnny, nothing you ever did ever would.”

“And what about you? I know there haven’t been any men in and out for you since savin’ my ass. How about after we broke off?”

“We stopped seeing each other because the gang was interfering. If I didn’t have time for you, how was I going to make time for anyone else?” She looked back at him.

“I don’t know. Make a few calls. I’m sure one of the other Saints would have been happy to lend a hand.”

“Or their cocks, but it wasn’t sex that I needed. Trust me, I can take care of that urge on my own.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Affection. Just . . .” She sighed, facing the ocean again. “Just for someone to smile and say it’ll be okay and mean it. We’ve both been through alot of shit in our lives, Johnny. Everything good I ever had was taken from me or gone before I could get a good grip. I never even got a childhood because of it.”

He grabbed her arm, pulling her down to lay beside him. “Tell me.”

“Nah. It’s a boring ‘woe is me’ thing. Not worth the breath.”

“I wasn’t asking your opinion on the topic, I was telling you to tell me.”

She gave him a look then rolled her eyes. “Well, I was born to a teenage mother, I’ve been told, who didn’t know the name of the father and couldn’t be bothered to find out. She kept me until I was a year and a half, when she got an abusive boyfriend who would dangle me out of stuff. Some neighbour called CAS and I was taken into foster care right here in Stilwater. Shortly after, I was given to a family in Steelport. The father was the only nice one, but he was gone alot, working two jobs to support that fucking pig of a woman who forced me to call her ‘Mother’ like I was some sort of Cinderella fairytale bitch or something. I honestly wonder sometimes if they were role playing around me in hopes of me committing suicide. I had two older ‘sisters’ and an older ‘brother’. They all beat on me, Dad excluded, but push came to shove one day. I was playing in the living room alone, because my sisters were bitches and my mother was a fat slob. Older bro comes in, starts taking off his clothes. Major boner winkin’ at me. Whatever. I was old enough to recognize it so when he reached for me, I ran. He trapped me in a corner and with no other defense I pulled a kitchen knife on him and stabbed him to death and maybe just a bit of body defilement. Cool, whatever. My sisters catch me and I steal their Harley. Hotwired the thing and got the fuck out with a bag full of only the essentials. I fled back to Stilwater because it was the closest city, bunked with the foster home for a bit until my other family told them about what I’d done. Luckily for me, I’d already been in school for a month and I was able to jump ship to Aisha’s place. We’ve been friends since grade eight. I never stayed long with them. I started into the gang part-time, if you remember, when I was like, fifteen. I got some good grades, took some summer school classes and viola! I graduate a year early. I told you I wasn’t a drop out when you went to canonize me. I was, legit, a scholar.”

“Then why the fuck did you join this gang?”

“I had black and purple hair with piercings and a tattoo, and already dressed like a gangbanger. Who do you think was going to hire me? Freckle Bitch’s? That would support a healthy life-long career.” She rolled her eyes. “I had nowhere else to go and I wasn’t in school anymore when Aisha was. So, I joined up with the Saints. It worked out well, as you can see. I’m one of the richest people in this city and I can come and go out of anywhere I fuckin’ please.”

“You could still do it.”

“With a rep like I’ve got? Johnny, we buried Shogo Akuji alive and I sliced Jyunichi's head from his shoulders and left it on the floor of his dojo. ‘Hire me! I’m a good face for your company!’ That would fly.”

“Would you rather have had it turn out like it could have?”

“No. I’m not normal and I never was. If I went the normal route, I would be in prison for third degree murder.” She smiled weakly at him. “I couldn’t have wound up anywhere better than here.”

“Even with all the lies, betrayal and deceit?”

“Even.”

“Can I show you what I want?”

“Go for it. I was tired of talking about myself before I started.”

She smiled at him, but that was overtaken by his lips and the fact his whole frame was supported above her. His hand dove up under her shirt and stroked what skin he could find.

Her palms pressed against his chest and he thought for sure that she would use her not-so-hidden strength and toss him off. Instead, she traced the muscle definition through his shirts and returned the kiss with fiery passion. He broke away and kissed along her jaw to her ear.

“This is why I miss you more than Aisha. You can handle me. You’re individual, you’re raw, you’re real.”

“Best of all, I’m yours. There hasn’t been another lost fuckin’ soul after you.”

* * *

“Johnny, you’ve got some bruises on your neck.” Natalie pointed out, frowning.

Johnny felt the one on the left, then the one on the right. “First one’s just lipstick. This one feels like a hickey, though.”

“A hickey?” Natalie looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “And where, per say, did you acquire that?”

“Adrianne likes to bite.”

Both of Natalie’s eyebrows raised at the bluntness behind the statement. Johnny just shrugged. “I should have probably seen that coming.”

“I’d say.”

“So, where is she?”

“Sleeping.” Johnny grinned. “But I don’t think you want the details.”

“Thanks. I really can continue on my life without ever knowing what happens between you two.” She turned to walk away.

“So, I never did get caught up on what happened with you and Pierce.”

She turned a brilliant shade of vibrant red and ducked her head. “Nothing.”

“Bullshit.”

“Drop it.”

“No.”

Natalie sighed and sat down in front of Johnny, staring at him as her eyes hardened. She let out an evil smirk. “So, this is what went down when you couldn’t see . . .”

* * *

Adrianne winced as she walked down the stairs, widening her stance slightly to ease the small splinters of pain.

“I think you took that boy’s innocence. Nat, that’s pretty extensive.”

Natalie shrugged. “It’s not my fault that he’s never seen a woman bend that way.”

“I told you to wait for me!”

Johnny turned around, facing the Blue Boss. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself. How ya feeling?”

“Sore and used, but on the whole, I’m doin’ pretty good.” She smiled and sat down beside him.

“Want an update on Nat’s situation?”

“Sure.”

“Remember that pole dancing trick you taught her?”

“Yeah.”

“She used it on Pierce.”

Adrianne’s eyes widened and she turned, scandalized, towards Natalie. “No shit.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” The Asian Boss smiled darkly. “After all, he gave me the opportunity.”

“How did you manage to make that trick a sexual pick-me-up?”

“Blue, I’ve had more men in my life than you’ve ever dreamed of.”

“Is that why you’re friends with Shaundi? You trade sex secrets?”

Natalie’s brow furrowed and she made a noise of disgust. “No. I’m friends with Shaundi for completely different reasons.”

“You experimented with her?”

Natalie scowled and stood up. “Fuck you.”

“Johnny already did.” Adrianne winced. “You’re lucky too, because I’ll be feeling this revenge for a while.”

“You appal me.”

Adrianne shrugged. “Add it to my long list of bad qualities.”

 

 


	12. Looking Into The Future

A helicopter came to land on the top of the airport hotel. Four people hopped out, and one turned back to the pilot.

“Thanks, Tobias!” Adrianne called. “You sure you don’t want to stay and have a drink? Or a joint?”

“Nah, thanks. I gotta get home to the wife.”

Adrianne smiled back. “Tell her I say hi! Have a good night.”

Tobias nodded and the helicopter rose again into the air, taking off in the direction of the suburbs.

Johnny was waiting for her on the stairs that lead down into the hotel. When she got close enough, he raised a hand to her. She stared at it for a moment before her hand tentatively slipped into his. His fingers curled around hers and hers clasped his hand tighter. He pulled her down beside him and smiled, leaning in close. “I never did have it in me until Aisha to show affection. I’m sorry it took me so long.”

She smiled weakly. “Don’t worry about it.”

“You two lovebirds coming, or what?” Their attention was snapped from the moment by Pierce holding open the door. Johnny scowled and pulled Adrianne down with him, pulling the roof door closed behind him and slamming it before Pierce could follow.

“Little bit of sweet revenge, huh?” Adrianne chuckled, locking the roof door.

“Looks like you were more pissed about the moment being ruined than I was.” Johnny said, eyeing the door. Adrianne winked and walked away, whistling an innocent tune.

* * *

Adrianne locked the door to the Red Light Loft and turned towards the other women in the room. Just her, Natalie, Carlos and Nekane were there. The young hispanic lieutenant looked between the three serious faces with clear unease.

“So, we’ve decided we’re moving into Steelport?” Adrianne said, her voice low, but loud in the strangely silent apartment.

“Yes.” Nekane answered softly. Natalie nodded. Adrianne sighed, brushing her bangs  to the side.

“I’m flattered and everything, but what do I have to do with this that the other three don’t?” Carlos asked.

Adrianne smiled warmly at him. “There’s a city across the water, even further west than Saints Row. Steelport. We’re planning to move in and take it over. We’re gonna use Ultor to do it.”

“I still don’t see how this applies to me.”

“We need someone to stay behind and keep this place in check. That’s not to say that you’re the weakest player, Carlos, but you have the right blend of power and common sense to run this town on your own.” Adrianne replied. “That, and you have the wit to make it seem like I’m still here.”

“What?” Carlos’ brow furrowed and he frowned.

“Adrianne, because her image is so iconic and individual, is going to go undercover as a mercenary for the corporate whore-gang in Steelport called the Morningstar.” Nekane explained. “She’s posing as a Russian merc and is going to feed us information concerning their movements and their hierarchy.”

“You need me as a peacekeeper and a cover story.” Carlos pieced together.

“Yeah.” Adrianne said.

“How are you going to reason Blue staying behind to Johnny?”

“You’re the brains and we can’t take all the muscle to Steelport.” Natalie answered.

Carlos looked down. “It’s a weak excuse.”

“If he asks any further, we call rank.” Nekane answered. “Don’t worry, Carlos, we’ll take care of it.”

Carlos sighed and rubbed his face with the palm of his hands. “If you need me to do this, I will.”

“Thank you, Carlos.” Adrianne said softly. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  
  


~ Chapter XII: Salvation In Deception ~

There was a knock on his office door.

“Come in.”

The door opened slowly and a blue body slipped inside. She closed the door without much sound and turned to face him. “Hey, Troy.”

“Blue.” He stood from his desk.

“Don’t even reach for that pistol.” She sighed tiredly. The worry and stress was obvious, even on someone as flamboyant and tireless as her. “I just want to talk. Do I really have to kill everyone in this station because of this?”

Troy sat back down and gestured to a seat in front of him. She slowly sank down in the leather. “So, why are you here?”

“I want to know how you did it.”

“Did what?”

“Stay with the Saints for so long and betray us in the end. Didn’t it bother you?”

“Of course it did.” He looked down. “It still does. I almost drank myself into a coma after I exposed the gang.”

“Am I off the record with you right now? Am I talking to Troy, the asshole that I met in the Church, or am I in conversation with Chief Bradshaw?”

“You’re with the asshole, though that detail really hasn’t changed.” He smiled slightly at her bluntness, remembering all the missions he’d sent her on and she’d openly complained about doing. She watched him as he took off the badge he was wearing and slipped it into one of the desk’s drawers.

“I have to go undercover in another gang to betray them.”

His head snapped up and met her eyes, still as startling and captivating as ever. “You can’t go like that. You have to be a nobody first.”

She smiled. “Thanks for the tip.”

“I take it you read my note.”

“You assume correctly. So, I’m here today to try and understand what you did. I’m here to see what I’m about to do.”

“I assume this is a plan you, Nat and Nekane have agreed on.”

“The gang I’m going to infiltrate, the Morningstar, are backed by the Syndicate. That’s the only reason I’m even heading in there. Otherwise, we’d just take our Annihilators and kill all those motherfuckers.”

Troy smiled. “You haven’t changed a bit. But why you? You’re the least stealthy person I know.”

She smirked. “Who else do you know with blue hair like me? Things have been pretty quiet in Stilwater, so you couldn’t blame me if I didn’t show my face. Carlos is going to stay behind and make sure shit stays right here. He’s also my cover. He’s gonna make it look like I’m still here.”

“He’s gonna blow shit up from a helicopter for no real reason?”

“Fuck you.”

“I’m serious.”

“No, really. Fuck. You.”

“You sound just like Johnny.”

“My fuckin’  bad.” She rolled her eyes. He snickered.

“So, you’re very recognizable and your Carlos friend is going to make it look like you’re chilling here. What are you going to go looking like?”

“Morningstar’s colours are red and black. I figure I’ll let down my hair for a while and dye it black again. Was thinking about blonde or purple on the ends. Was going to change my makeup to black. I’ll be wearing sunglasses, so my eyes won’t be a problem. We haven’t gone shopping for an outfit yet. All I know so far is that there’s this black leather jacket at Nobody Loves Me that would work really well.”

“When are you free?”

“Pretty much anytime during the day. Why?” She eyed him skeptically. He smiled.

“I have a dull shift ahead of me. I’ll look into the Morningstar and maybe you and me could go and find something suitable for your op.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you getting at, Bradshaw?”

He opened his arms. “I always liked the Saints, Blue. And as a bonus for me, You’re talking Steelport, somewhere where I don’t have jurisdiction. It all works out for me in the end, so, if you’d like some help, I’m offering.”

“What are you working tomorrow?”

“Off.”

“Cool.” She stood. “I hope this shift proves useful.”

She turned and was nearly at the door when he called back to her. “You never did give me your name.”

She threw him a grin over her shoulder. “And you’ll never get it.”

* * *

There was a knock on the door to none other than Troy Bradshaw’s house. Before anyone else could answer it, Troy flew down the stairs. He pulled open the door and Blue was standing there.

“Never was a late person.”

“Not really.”

“Troy, who is that?”

Troy winced and called back over his shoulder. “A friend of mine.”

“An officer?”

“No.”

A little girl ran up and grabbed Troy’s leg. She stared up at the blue-haired woman with awe and wonderment. “Who are you?”

Blue stared at the child and blinked. The girl had ruby red hair with crystalline blue eyes. “I’m Blue.”

“You look like the woman from the news.”

“Maybe I am.”

The child smiled up at her and she couldn’t help but smile back. “Nice to meet you. My name is Adria.”

“That’s a pretty name.”

“Adria, why don’t you go help your mother? I’ll be going out for a little bit, but I’ll be back before dinner, ok?”

“Ok, daddy!” The girl accepted Troy’s cute little kiss and ran back off into the house. Troy pulled the door closed behind him. On the street, a Phoenix was parked. As he should have expected, the whole thing was blue with accents of silver, white and a washed-out sea green.

Blue took up the driver’s seat and the roofless vehicle roared to life. They took off down the street.

“I didn’t know you got married.” Blue stated, rather flatly. Troy looked over to her, suddenly uncomfortable.

“Yeah. About a year after the Saints went under. She saved me from falling into a permanent stupor.”

“What’s her name?”

“Susan.”

“And your daughter? When did you have her?”

“Well, uh . . . Susan, ah, . . . Susan can’t have kids.”

Blue’s eyes flickered over to him and she turned down the radio. “Oh?”

“Yeah. We adopted Adria from the foster care facilities. She had just come back from an adopted family in Steelport that put her through hell.”

“Take care of her, Troy.” Blue whispered, the engine roaring as she stepped up her speed. “Don’t let the same thing happen to her that happened to me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say I wasn’t lucky enough to have a home to return to when I escaped Steelport.”

“I don’t understand.”

However, despite Troy’s protests and his insistence, Blue silently refused to speak anymore on the topic.

* * *

It was around four thirty when the same Phoenix Susan had seen take her husband return. It didn’t pull into the driveway, but shut off in front of it. Troy slid from the passenger seat and opened up the door to the back seat. There was what looked to be a couple of clothing store bags. However, Troy pulled out groceries from the back seat instead. The driver, a woman dressed completely in blue, slid out form the driver’s seat and helped him.

“Adria?”

“Yes, Momma?” The innocent little girl replied, looking up from her toys.

“Go say hello to Daddy.”

“Ok!” The young thing chirped, popping up and vanishing down the stairs.

Susan didn’t know why, but when the woman looked up to the window she was peering from and locked eyes with her, she felt an overwhelming fear course through her. Troy had gone out with the Blue Boss from the Third Street Saints. She backpedaled from the window and disappeared downstairs.

Blue pulled her gaze away from the window at a child’s squeal.

“Daddy! Welcome home!”

“Hey, Adria.” Troy smiled. He hugged her back with the one arm he had to spare. “Would you help me take these groceries inside?”

“Sure!”

“Go help Blue, okay?”

“Yup!”

The little girl ran around the side of the car, stopping beside the towering gang leader expectantly. Blue gave her a light bag and hoisted the others out of the car. Adria skipped on ahead of her. Blue followed the child into the kitchen. She set the bags down on the table.

“Troy? I’m gonna go.” Blue stated.

The Chief of Police abandoned his task of placing the items and hugged her. “Good luck, Blue.”

“Thanks.” She smiled and they let go of each other. As she went to leave, Adria pulled at her pant leg.

“Why do you have to go so soon?” The girl pouted. The infamous gang leader smiled down at the child. She kneeled down on the tile floor, facing the girl.

“Would it be okay if I left, but I gave you a secret?”

She lit up. “Yeah!”

“You have to keep this a secret forever, though, understand?”

“I understand.” The girl declared solemnly.

Blue leaned in close to the girl’s ear and lowered her voice to a whisper. “My name is Adrianne Asphodel.”

Adria’s eyes widened. “They talked about you. The old women in the foster home. They talked about you all the time.”

“You can survive anything, Adria.” Adrianne winked at the young version of herself. “But you are luckier than I ever was.”

“I know I’m lucky.” She smiled. “I’ll keep it a very safe secret.”

“Thank you.” Adrianne stood again, intent to leave.

“You’re sure you can’t stay?” The little thing tried.

“I’m positive.”

“What a shame.”

Adria, Adrianne and Troy looked over to the voice of Susan Bradshaw. Adrianne saw the recognition pass over her gaze.

“Before you even try, shooting at me won’t stop me. You’d be better off just to let me go about my business.” Adrianne cut her to the chase.

“At the very least, I won’t be known for letting a criminal walk the streets freely.” She cast a scathing glare Troy’s way as she adjusted the pistol in her grip behind her back.

“Then you have to blame the incompetence of the whole police force, Mrs. Bradshaw.” Adrianne said. “And none of them could claim they were a Saint once upon a time. “Troy and I have history.”

“That so?” Again, another pointed glare in the direction of her husband.

Adrianne rolled her eyes. “Sorry Troy.”

“I probably should have though this through a little better.” He replied with a shrug. “Go.”

“No!” Susan pointed the pistol at Adrianne’s chest. “Call the police and have her arrested!”

Adrianne sighed and kicked out, flinging it from Susan’s grasp. Before the other woman could register what was happening, Adrianne’s own pistol was pointed at her. “Let’s not make this harder than need be, ok? Troy, be a good father to Adria. Susan, I’m sorry for knowing your husband and freaking you out. Adria, be a good girl.”

Adrianne lowered the pistol and turned, leaving the house with a small wink in Adria’s direction.

* * *

Nekane and Natalie sat in Purgatory, the other Saints around them all lost in their usual drunk or high merriment. Pierce sat with Natalie and Carlos sat beside Nekane. Johnny walked down the stairs and noticed immediately (that that it was hard to) that Adrianne was not among the Bosses.

Ten minutes later, Adrianne came down the stairs, dressed normally. She smiled at them “Sorry guys. Didn’t think it would take as long as it did.”

However, only Carlos knew of her movements. He nodded to her.

“What were you up to?” Johnny asked.

“Nothing major. Just a little personal business.”

Johnny knew not to push her further on it and let the subject lie. “So, why are we here?”

“The Saints are moving over into Steelport.” Natalie revealed. Johnny and Pierce sat forwards.

“No shit.”

“We’re taking over the town. And we’re going to use Ultor to do it.”

“I don’t care how as long as I get to do some murderin’.” Johnny said.

“Would we bring you if that wasn’t our intention?”

“Aight!” Johnny sat back, contented.

“What about the rest of us?” Pierce asked.

“Well, here’s how this goes down . . .”

* * *

Everything was set to go in Steelport. Ultor certainly made it worth the hassle of obtaining. Thank you, Dane Vogel.

This was the last night together for the Bosses, as Adrianne was going to be ‘left behind’. And once she was, their only contact would be through Carlos. For Adrianne and Johnny as well as Nekane and Carlos, this was the last night they were going to have with each other for a long time. So, obviously, they made the best of it.

 

 

 

 


	13. Leather And Lace

Nekane pushed Carlos into the bed, and he landed with a surprised and rather unmanly squeak.

“Ah . . . Nekane?” He asked timidly. This was the first time she’d been so openly dominant. Of course, it was no real secret that she wore the pants in their relationship, but this was the first time he got to feel it.

“Shut up, Carlos, and feel.”

Who was he to deny her? Even if he were to put up a protest, she would overpower him like she always did. So, instead of losing his pride, he relented and laid his head back on the black and red bedspread.

He closed his eyes, his body tensing as her hands travelled up from his belt and slid over his abdomen. Those dark, skillful fingers traced the small, but pure, bulge of muscle that was the ball of his shoulder and down the fine valleys in his arms. She entwined her fingers with his and pulled his hands over his head. She moved her fingertips in a teasing glide back down the firm and undeniable muscle to his collarbone. They played there and teased as the rest of her body finally came into motion. Her legs trapped his hips within their powerful confines and she leaned down close, her breath echoing across her chest.

“What do you want?” She breathed. He shuddered.

“What you’ll give me.”

“Not too specific, now.” She smirked. She took the golden chain that was wrapped around his neck between her teeth, tethering him to her. A shiver rippled up his spine at the controlling, possessive and erotic sight. It wasn’t often Nekane allowed herself to be like this, but with her leaving so soon . . .

Those sneaky fingers wormed their way up his neck while he was distracted and slid the signature beanie off of his head, revealing the fuzzy, stubble-length tribal design made from his hair. Why he would hide it, she could never understand, but the fact that only she removed it made her grin.

With her hands occupied by the silky texture of the incredibly short hair he possessed, she put her mouth to work. In one smooth motion, her lips fused with his. Like they were meant to do this, he simply groaned complacently and opened his mouth up to her when her tongue prodded at him to. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, and letting her get comfortable with him was perfectly fine with him. A happy Nekane was a pleasurable one, and despite the fact that he wasn’t only here because she was talented (no joke, truly gifted), it never hurt to have that added to sweeten the deal a little bit. Not in his opinion, and not in hers, it seemed.

Her hands slipped lower and down under his shirt, toying with the top of his pants. He groaned into her mouth when she stroked the especially sensitive area below his navel that was just inside his pants. He jerked a little bit, thrusting his hips up into hers. She pulled back from him and made a tsking sound.

“Carlos . . .” The mock disappointment was demeaning, but he didn’t care.

“Sorry. I’m just really sensitive there. I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t mean to move . . .”

She smiled down at his display of submission to her. It was nice to have someone that she could speak to and understand on an intellectual level, someone that wasn’t Natalie, Adrianne or Johnny, someone equal to her, but below her. It was a powerful feeling to know that while he was as strong, willful and witty as she was, despite his shy and shadowy appearance, that he would fall to her. She had control over him, even without voicing it, and he fell to her subjugation without so much as a whimper’s worth of protest. She wanted to dominate, and he was willing to be dominated.

Another stroke of fate that he was enduring for her, yet again.

She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, that this could be the same kind of love she’d felt for David, if not better. She wasn’t ready to think that way just yet. But she was more than enthusiastic about building herself up to that point. Tonight, she was truly investing her body into him, and she would see what he had to offer her in return.

“I’ll forgive you this once.” She whispered back huskily, her fingers hiking up his shirt and pulling it above his head. She was surprised that he was obedient enough to leave his hands were she’d placed them. He looked so vulnerable and small beneath her, but his eyes reflected the fire and ability to fight her for the dominance he so willingly afforded her. It made this game between them more fun, made their comfort level rise.

His hand flicked the white undershirt away and onto the floor somewhere. Those pesky fingertips of hers eagerly explored every dip, dive and curve his body had to offer her. Notably, however, that golden necklace with the heavy gold cross hanging off of it was left untouched aside from the glistening of her saliva.

“You want to touch me?”

“Of course I do.”

She smiled down at him and raised her arms. He hesitated for a moment, but just a moment. His hands, too, slid underneath the tight material of her shirt, taking his time and not wasting a second of it. His hands were by no means smooth and definitely not experienced, but it made the sensation different, and she liked it. It made Carlos, Carlos, and she wouldn’t change it for anything, not even to have David back.

Not even to have David back.

Carlos saw the emotion change in her face and quickly took the chance to sit up, locking lips again with the taller woman. He only broke to slide the shirt off over her head, then his lips burned against her again. He fumbled for a moment to unclasp her bra, but managed to do it.

The clumsy movement was endearing, and she knew exactly what he was doing. Though he may be someone who was easily read, he had the uncanny ability to read her unlike anyone but David and Johnny.

She didn’t get long to think, however, because the bra and the kiss were no more than a distraction. A pleasurable distraction, but a distraction nonetheless.

His hand had slipped into her incredibly small shorts and even past the high-rising underwear. Even if he appeared clumsy, new and overeager to please her, obviously he had learned something from whatever other women he had been with, because what his hand was doing now was absolutely sinful.

Where her fingers had been teasing and tender, his were knowing and playing her into an endgame. She jerked as she felt the first prongs of electric pleasure shoot through her body and explode behind her eyes like a firework. No matter how hard she tried to fight against it, her body denied her and allowed him to keep her on a collision course with her release. His thumb flickered over her clit as his fingers twirled and played with her folds.

Some of the Saints on the floor below, over the music, the booze and the drugs, twisted their gazes away from their companions and looked up to the master bedroom door, hearing a high scream of pleasure.

“Lay back down, idiota.” She gasped, feeling the uncomfortable amount of liquid that had been released inside her clothing. She’d have preferred to be naked, but it appeared that it was no longer an option. Instead, she stood from him and made sure to rake her nails down his hips and thighs as she pulled off his pants. She pulled off his pants to find nothing else. His manhood sat up whereas Carlos was laying down. She blinked like she was new to the concept of men, but her momentary bout of stupidity fled as her lust returned tenfold. She stood straight again and motioned to him. He sat up again, unbuttoning the jean shorts and pulling them down by the boy-shorts she wore underneath. His lips connected with the area just above that sweet core of hers.

“Lay down.”

“But-”

“Listen to me.”

He rolled his eyes in an uncharacteristic show of defiance and reluctance, but laid back anyways. She straddled him again, both of them completely naked. Teasing, as always, her fingers traced him up and down. He groaned at the feeling of her coarse skin against that particularly sensitive and protected area.

“Nekane . . .”

She smirked, but didn’t give him any more pressure or friction. She mercilessly tricked him into thrusting upwards in hope of some delicious feeling. Instead of punishing him for the disobedient action, she took him in hand, literally, and he moaned, low, long and deep. The tear of packaging didn’t register with him, and the sheer feeling of her fingers doing more than haunting his body was enough for him not to comment on the condom she was rolling on him or making him feel like he should do it himself. Her smirk turned into a full on cheshire grin as she too the small opportunity to stand him straight and lower herself down on him.

Instantly, his eyes flew open to take int he sight and the strange new pleasure. With a groan that was full of distinctly male satisfaction, his head fell back onto the bed, eyes closed, and he simply took in the sensation.

Her skin was blazing against his when she finally impaled herself fully on him. She leaned forwards and caught him in a kiss, nipping his bottom lip boldly as she slowly gyrated her hips. Their moans intermingled, finally crossing their barrier of separation.

Her kisses melted down onto his neck as his hands found their way to her chest. When he thrust up to meet her, he was rewarded with a sharp bite into the junction between his neck and his shoulders for his impulsive action. However, it only encouraged him more, and he started to thrust up into her and with more harshness and need than his original playful buck. However, she wasn’t the only tease, and his thrusts were timed with a very slow pace.

“¿Cuál es su problema, Carlos?” The Spaniard snarled at his obvious relish in her flushed and slipping state. “Faster!”

“¿Cuál es mi problema? No me puedo mover más rápido de esta manera.” Carlos groaned.

“What do you mean you can’t move any faster like that?!”

With her distracted by the unpleasant feeling of pleasurably losing her control, he flipped them over. Her smooth, scarred thighs felt good in his hands and he guided her legs over his shoulders. “I promise, this will be well worth it.”

She huffed and pouted. “It had better b-”

Whatever else she had intended to say was overridden and overruled by him taking up a desperate and thrilling pace that she could feel reverberate over her whole body.

Often, she had wondered what Adrianne and Natalie (and women in general, for that matter) found in being on the bottom and letting the man take over. She knew better now.

Like with a lot of things since waking up, Carlos was freeing her from a lot of previously misconstrued thoughts and habits. It had started with little things, like trust and loyalty. She had learned all over again that there were more people than just the other two Bosses, Johnny and Aisha that she could believe and trust without double-checking their statement. He showed her that, again, the original crew weren’t the only people that would take bullets for her. Now, he was liberating her from all of those frustrating nights thinking of good memories of old boyfriends or previous one-night stands, only to have them ruined by the ever-resilient ‘bad ending’ that followed all of her dalliances. He was bringing her back to life. He was making her human again. He was re-teaching her what feeling felt like and guiding her back into humanity with everlasting patience and understanding. He was rebuilding the innocent, naive and starry-eyed youth who had Adrianne Asphodel, Johnny Gat and the Third Street Saints save her life.

Right now, he was erasing all of her pain and replacing it with pleasure and sensation. He was making her body spasm and react like no other before him. He was making her dependant on him for emotional, physical and sensual support. He was working her like a he had years of experience under his belt.

He leaned in close to her, panting with exertion from the power he was laying down at the speed, and whispered to her. “Come for me, niña, come for me.”

“Oh, bebé!” She panted against him, arching and letting her nails sink into his back. “Carlos, bebé . . . por Dios!”

“Come on.” He encouraged. “You can feel it. Release for me.”

And she could feel it. She felt a tight winding that she was unfamiliar with. She knew what he was talking about, but she couldn’t relate it to a feeling. After sex, yes, she had been tired and the wonderment he’d worked with his fingers earlier had left her pleasantly buzzed, she didn’t feel like this. All she knew was that she only needed a little more encouragement . . .

“Niña, come on.” He whispered sweetly. How he managed to do it, so late in the game, she didn’t know, but his thrusts were faster and deeper. “Come for me. Let it go. Release.”

So, she did. The tension in her body snapped and she arched so desperately into him that she nearly rose off the bed. It was like an explosion had rippled through her whole body, all of her nerves alight with flame and a pleasant burn. Her heart pounded in her ears and she was breathing heavier than she would be if she ran from one end of Stilwater to the other with bricks for shoes.

Never in her whole life had she felt this satisfied. Not even their first time could relate to this one, and she was almost positive that it never would.

“That’s right.” He whispered to her as he finally allowed himself to fall victim to the pressure inside his body. He came with a few more thrusts and a distinctly masculine groan of satisfaction.

She might have been a boneless mass, but she could tell that he was completely wiped out. She was honestly surprised at he had enough strength and will left in him in order to pull from her and nearly fall into the bathroom, removing the condom and cleaning himself up a little so he wasn’t sticky and untouchable in the morning. She rolled over and let him slide into the bedding beside her. He smiled at her. She rolled back over to him, pressed right up close. In the moment, she didn’t think twice about the cliché scenario or how unintimidating or un-gang-like she appeared. She let herself fall into his arms, her head resting on his comparatively small chest and let her arm snake its way over his waist to lay contentedly across him. Her one leg slipped between his and she hummed, sated. He chuckled at her innocent and un-forethought actions. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her close to him, dare she roll away in the middle of the night. He kissed the top of her head and allowed himself to relax completely, letting his spent body merge with the bedding as she did the same.

“I love you, Carlos.”

He peeked an eye open at her, but she was still listless and boneless across him. He smiled. “I love you too, Nekane. But I told you first.”

She hummed a laugh against his skin and all conversation died as both fell into an utterly dead sleep within a few moments. 


	14. The Slower The Burn, The Hotter The Flame

It was companionable silence that followed Adrianne and Johnny as they walked casually through the Ultor underground mall. It was around two in the afternoon, and they had come here right after they had gone through Image As Designed. Johnny looked so different right now, with his dyed tips gone and his hair slicked back like he hadn’t a thing to lose. His skin had darkened over the summer months and he just seemed so much more of a celebrity now than he had the whole time she’d known him. He was wearing his old gang clothes from the church as they wandered, waiting for the leather jacket he’d had specially made to be finished. His other pre-determined clothing was waiting patiently back in Adrianne’s favourite apartment, packed in a suitcase, ready to go.

“I want you to come.”

Adrianne’s gaze turned away from the window of the store she’d been examining to turn to the man she’d come to love more than anybody over the years at his small admission. “Why?”

“It won’t be the same.” He muttered, looking back at her from the corner of his eye. “It’s been you and me from the beginning, you know that?Life, for me, only really picked up with the Saints when you came around. It seemed like a coincidence at the time, but looking back on it, I’m not so sure. You were there when I got together with Aisha. Hell, you supported us even though we could both see you wince a little every time we kissed in front of you. I knew you didn’t like it, but that never once stopped you from being friendly or talkative or explosive or whatever the fuck else you wanna name. You get taken out in a boat explosion and I suddenly get fuckin’ arrested. You leave for one moment, and my life took a shitty turn. It wasn’t too bad in prison, but that doesn’t mean it was any easier. I heard you woke up from the passing guards and the rumour of the inmates. I was told a day after your escape that I had a scheduled court date the day after. I thought for sure that was gonna tank, you know that? It gets better. Who pops into the courtroom after I just completely fucked over any chance I had for a decent ending? You. Again. It unnerves me, Blue. Thinkin’ about it. My life always goes to shit without you there. Not Aisha’s, not Nekane’s, not Natalie’s, but mine. I don’t really care that there may be a problem that Carlos can’t handle like he can the business end of things. I want you beside me.”

Adrianne gave him a sad smile in return. “You’ve done perfectly fine on your own, Johnny. You survived prison, you loved Aisha through it and she loved you. You made it through her death and you exacted revenge for everything that was taken from you. So what if you got caught once? You’ll do fine without me there, Johnny. Just you watch and see.”

He grunted and rolled his shoulders, looking away from her and down at the ground. His long moment of silence was followed by his proud and powerful voice reduced to a whisper tinged with fear. “Do you ever have those times before you do something that make you wonder whether you’ll come back alive?”

She frowned. “You think you’re gonna die?”

“I don’t know why, but I can feel it. Shit’s gonna happen.”

They both wandered around in silence for a bit more. Johnny looked up from the ground and to his hand, finding Adrianne’s fingers creeping up his palm until hers pressed against his. Her fingers wormed their way between his and closed softly around them. His fingers tightened and he squeezed her hand back.

“i won’t let anything happen to you, Johnny.” Adrianne murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. “Not ever.”

He looked up at her to find an painfully serious expression and a distant gaze. Her hand clenched his and she turned to him, a reassuring smile gracing those blue lips. “Good to know.”

She burst out in an uncharacteristic fit of laughter at his sarcastic, but true comment. “God, Johnny.”

“You know, I can’t decide whether or not I perfer you with your hair up or down.” He paused reflectively. She tossed him a mirthful smirk.

“I don’t know whether I prefer those blond tips you used to have.” he cringed.

“Those were pretty painful.”

“Were you anyone else, it wouldn’t have worked.” She tossed back.

“I am me and it didn’t work.” Johnny rolled his eyes.

“Yet, you continued to wear your hair the exact same way until about four hours ago.”

“Yeah, but that’s not the point.” He fumbled for a moment. “Weren’t we supposed to be talking about your hair?”

She laughed again, clear and free. He couldn’t resist the smile that followed her joy. “What are you? A twelve year old schoolgirl?”

“Oh, fuck you.”

“Only you do that.”

“No, seriously. Fuck. You.”

“Fuck you? Why, gladly.”

“Your humour will save you nothing.”

“Maybe not.” Quick as lightning, she tossed him against the closest wall and pressed herself flush against him, even grinding her hips a little. Her lips caught his in his surprise. Quick as it was there, it was gone, and through his daze, all he noticed was the cocky and arrogant sway of her hips as she strode away from his shock. She threw a smirk over her shoulder. “Not even gonna try and catch me?”

* * *

The whole way home, Johnny tickled her and teased her mercilessly. He even managed to do it when he was trying on the new jacket and when he was paying for it. On the ride home, he’d almost made her swerve off the road on multiple occasions. When they got back to the Red Light loft, she killed the engine as quick as she could and dashed inside the house. Despite the fact he had bags to carry, he managed to keep up with her and wedge himself between the door and it’s accompanying frame.

She laughed, loud and beautifully as he kicked the door shut with his heel, locked it and tossed the bags aside, smirking as he stalked her predatorily. Her teeth gleamed in the dull and listless lighting as she laughed at him. Somewhere, in their childish chaos, her hair had come undone from the confines of its usual bun. Within seconds, he tackled her, pinning her hands above her head on the zebra-striped bedding. It kind of amused him how everything else in this apartment, including the apartment itself, was tiny. Yet, her bed would put any pimp to shame with it’s size and durability.

She giggled at him, manipulating one hand out from his grasp to take off the glasses he always wore. Her playful smile softened slightly as she let the metal and glass slide from her fingertips.

“Caught you.” He whispered. She chuckled a little bit.

“I don’t feel trapped.” Her thighs gripped his hips and with the tremendous ability she must have gained from her melee fighting style, she flipped them, pinning his hands above his head in a mockery of his earlier display of showmanship. Her voice lowered and she leaned down seductively. “Whatcha gonna do about it?”

Well, she wasn’t the only one with power rippling off of her body. He managed to use his abdomen muscles to sit himself upright, bringing up not only his weight, but hers as well. “I’m gonna make you regret it.”

“Really?” His lips attached themselves to her neck. She moaned against him, pressing her chest closer. “I regret nothing.”

“Don’t worry about that.” He grinned. “You’ll regret this when you won’t walk straight or comfortably for a week.”

He was rewarded with a groan as his hands unlaced the tight breastband with ease. “Shut up and fuck me already, Gat.”

He chuckled against her skin as he sucked a mark onto her collar bone. “You’re gettin’ really bossy lately.”

“Call it a symptom of my position.” She muttered huskily against his ear.

“That’s what she said.”

“I am female. Now, are we gonna chat this one out or are we gonna get to it? I’ve been out of this game for a while, Johnny. The last time was nice, but you weren’t inside.”

“Aight, aight.” He smiled. “Just let me work.”

He picked them up and laid her on her back once more, unlacing the bondage bra from the front and sliding it off her shoulders to land somewhere else in this cramped space. Her hands unhooked his longer golden chain from around the collar of his purple overshirt and he shrugged the offending garment off of his body. He pulled off his undershirt as well, as compensation for her topless state. He lowered himself down above her, capturing her lips with his own and eliciting a sweet moan from within the depths of her body. His tongue snaked out from between his lips to tease and prod at hers. As if all those years apart never happened, she groaned in approval and let him in without hesitation. His kiss was sweet and endearing, as controlled as ever, until she sucked his bottom lips into her mouth and nipped the flesh.

He almost reared back, but managed to refrain from the shocked action and simply pulled away, staring at her. Her eyebrows furrowed and she cocked her head.

“What? I’m not some fairy tale princess. Get a little rough, Johnny. Bite me back.”

It hit him like a punch why he’d taken a shine to her in the first place. She was a ruffian, she was a rock. She could handle him like no other. She could take what he gave, and give back as good as she got. She matched him, eye for an eye. She even rivalled his killing ability. He liked to bite during sex, and she loved to be bitten. There were many times, with how loose her clothing had been, that she’d been questioned on who beat the shit out of her because of all the hickeys she had. Not that she’d cared one way or another. All she’d reply was that it was a rough night and that she was stronger than she looked. Hell yeah, she was. It was only when he would appear a bit later in the day with a massive purple bite mark, not even able to hide within the depths of his tattoo, that the other Saints would piece together what happened. He was a pistol, she she was the holster that was just as wild as he was.

So, bite he did.

Just under her jaw, he took a piece of skin as his own bit down on it almost hard enough to draw blood. She bucked her hips into him with appreciation and a moan. He kissed and bit his way down her neck to her collarbone and went a little further, marking his path down her chest to her nipples.

He was not new to her, and that probably made this easier than it would for a new lover. Without hesitation, he took the one on his left into his mouth and gently nipped the pert tip. She arched under him, her body’s path only blocked by the solidarity of his. Her silent scream rang in his ears.

“That’s right.” He murmured, his breath hot on her skin, making her shiver at the deepened tone. “Remember who I am.”

“Dear God, you make it sound like I could forget.” She breathed back. He repeated his actions on the other nipple and the same reaction was pulled from within her.

It was like watching something unravel before your eyes. Her stubbornness, hard shell and commandeering visage pulled back to reveal her passion, lust and intense sexuality. It wasn’t like he didn’t know that she’d slept with Troy, but he did know that Troy never saw her like this. It took him (him!) almost two months of sex to find this hidden part of her. When he had uncovered it, he’d been blown away. She still had been muscular, a real brawler at heart, but here it didn’t make a difference. She was a temptress underneath, an undeniable whirlpool of violent and terrifyingly beautiful magnitudes.

The same kissing and biting pattern brought him down her stomach down to the rim of pants. He undid the button and slid down the zipper of her jeans before sliding them, as well as her underwear, down her conflictingly smooth legs. They were scarred, yes, but he could also say the same thing about his body. Every inch of skin between them had seen some sort of trauma, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

She raised her hips to help him and hissed a bit as he spread her legs, revealing the warm pooling evidence of her arousal to the cool air in her one-room apartment. He ran one finger through the midst of the satisfying wetness and smirked.

“Already?”

“You have no idea about how much I truly want this.” She replied.

“I’ll have to make sure not to disappoint your imagination.”

The man was a sex god, she decided. His face disappeared from view and she felt his breath against her. Strong, fast and hot. And he wondered why she never took fast lovers. Pssh. This was why.

He was talented, that, no one could dispute. His tongue flicked out against her entrance, just leaving enough of a feeling to make her buck into it. Even though he wasn’t touching her, she could feel his chuckle. This time, he went to the other extreme route and laved his whole tongue along her. She gave him a long moan in return. His hands skimmed over the smooth inner skin of her thighs, some of the few places without scarring, and made shivers compete with electricity for the track of her spine. His lips moved up from her core to her clit, and proceeded to afford her the sweetest torture she’d ever feel. She gave in completely to him and didn’t hold back any of her vocalizations. She owned the place, she’d do whatever the fuck she wanted to, neighbours be damned.

His fingers moved up from her thighs and took his mouth’s place against her body. At first, they only stroked and teased her folds, but they weren’t to stay there long. Slowly, tantalizingly, one finger slid into her core. She cursed loudly, bucking into him again. He pressed his free arm over her stomach and held her down, recovering swiftly from her outburst.

“I need you to stay still if you want this to work out well.”

All she recognized was the arousal and lust saturating his tone as well as how good those vibrations felt as they simmered against her body. She moaned and mewled, fingers digging into the bedspread as another talented and experienced finger entered her body. All too soon for her liking, however, they pulled away, stroking along the edge of her centre and moving to her clit as his mouth removed itself. It moved back to her entrance, his tongue being generous as it lavished attention onto one of her most sensitive areas. That wasn’t what had her back clear the bedding.

His tongue, in one smooth motion, darted out and into her. It was thick and wet and moving around inside of her in the most pleasing and pleasurable of ways. She certainly didn’t want him to stop. He knew she didn’t when her hand wound into his newly cropped hair.

“Johnny . . .”

“I know.”

A few more moments and she really did scream, reaching her orgasm as small nerve explosions went off all over her body. She managed to prop herself up on her elbows and look down at him as he licked his lips, grinning, and wiped away what he couldn’t reach with the back of his hand.

“Where did you learn that?” She panted, those beautiful, radiant blue eyes staring wildly at him. His smirk widened and he chuckled.

“So, good, I take it?”

“Fuckin’ amazing.” She smiled, her breath still choppy and uncharacteristically uneven. He’d really shaken her world with that, even as the kind of acrobatic fighter she was. “Just . . . wow. I don’t know if I can return that as well as I’d like to.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’d suck me off?”

“Well, yeah.” She gave him a strange look and subtly reached for him. He caught her hand, however, and pinned it above her head. “What? Don’t like that?”

“There is no way you’d do something that degrading, even on me.”

She stared at him quizzically. “What?”

“No.” Before she could protest, he caught her lips in another kiss that removed all argument and, indeed, any and all coherent thought from her mind. “Still gonna argue the point?”

“Huh?”

“Thought so.” He looked around himself. “Condoms?”

She sobered up from the intoxicated state he had her in nearly immediately. “Uh, I don’t have any.”

“Shit. I guess we’re out of luck, then.” It was obvious he was disappointed, but she couldn’t help but admire his restraint.

“Not . . . really.” She said slowly, wincing as she did. She didn’t like this topic, but there was no way of avoiding it forever, and at the very least, int he long run, Johnny was the person bound to understand the most.

“What do you mean? No condom, no sex. Did you miss that part in high school? Or are you looking for a pregnancy?”

“The . . . Nat and Nekki . . .” She grunted in irritation at her own stuttering and stupid self, the frustration evident on her face. “I was going to be the driver of the boat. When it exploded, well . . . Let’s just say I didn’t make it out as whole as I’d have hoped.”

“What do you mean?” He rubbed along her soothingly, trying to ease the obviously sensitive information from her.

“I took the brunt of the engine in the stomach and it effectively ended my childbearing days. Even if they had of left it in to heal together, if I were to get pregnant through some freak accident, it would have to be aborted and I would need it taken out anyways . . .”

“You’ve had your uterus removed?”

“From what I’ve been able to find out, it was completely shredded and embedded with shrapnel from the engine. Even if I wanted children I . . .” She grunted again as she wiped away unshed tears with anger and hatred. “I’m clean and I know you are, so get on with it.”

“Real romantic.” He muttered before silencing her retorts and effectively obliterating her irritated and frustrated mood.

All through the time he’d given her his best, her sounds had been affecting him just as much as if she had gotten to her knees for him. But she wasn’t a slut or a common whore, so where was no way that she was doing that, despite how arousing the image actually was. That said, he was stiff and wanting before he took off her pants. Right now, he was painfully hard and remaining in his pants for this long was staring to look more and more like a mistake by the second. Ever-intuitive, she unbuttoned and unzipped him, sliding his pants and accompanying undergarments to the already clothing-stricken floor.

Knowing how long she’d been without made him hesitant, so he entered her slowly. For each one of those eight inches he could proudly lay claim to, she groaned and stretched and keened to him, making it harder and harder to keep focused. He was glad he did, however. Because she was tight.

She was so tight, if he didn’t know better, he might have guessed she was a virgin. However, there was just enough give for him to slide in with only hot tightness around him. Thank God she’d already come once, or this would be harder than it was.

His pace started easy, but it didn’t take long for her nails to start leaving stinging red gashes on his shoulders and back to have him pick up the pace. He moved fluidly, as his years’ worth of practise predicted, but she was surprisingly responsive to all these renewed carnal pleasures.

“What? Afraid you’re going to break me?” She hissed against him, her absurdly strong legs clamped around his waist. He growled, low, animalistic and so, so, masculine in origin and took her up on her challenge. His hips pistoned in and out of her at mind-blowing speeds and they felt their hips grind together with every thrust.

This was nothing like what it was like with Aisha. She had wanted the love, the tenderness, the soft affection. He was sure that on some degree, Adrianne did as well, but not sexually. No. This was how it was supposed to be: giving your all, all at once. A lion and his lioness, two extremely dangerous animals, only sated by the other.

It wasn’t soon after that she felt the binding of her second orgasm wind within her and Johnny biting down ferociously was what made her come. Sh felt the foreign, yet not quite unnatural feeling of his seed exploding into her body. The warmth resting in the pit of her stomach didn’t feel as strange as she thought it might have.

He was above her, arms dredging up the last of their strength to keep him aloft as the aftershocks of just how powerful his own orgasm was rocked through him. He shook, but managed to slowly lower himself down on top of her, his body soaked with sweat and his black hair stuck to him on some areas on his forehead. They were both messy and disheveled, each covered with the essence of the other, purple marks blooming where the lion and the lioness had claimed what was theirs. Such a powerful thing, something only they could find, and only in each other.

“Johnny . . .”

She said his name with such reverence, her chest heaving just as much as his. Her fingers combed through his astray locks of hair in such a peaceful moment. This was where she wanted to feel love over lust, adoration over passion, and he recognized it immediately.

As if in response to his name, he shifted a bit and there was a soft kiss placed on her neck. It was tender and chaste, making the afterglow that much warmer. She sighed contentedly, finally sated after an abstinence thrust upon her by the gang life she chose to lead.

His fingers trailed over her sided, making lazy circles and drawing nonsense designs on already marred skin.

“I love you.”

He looked up at her when she said this and she looked away from him, shyness etched into every motion she made. Her blue hair was splayed around her like a raging inferno and he smiled at the image.

“Adrianne?”

She peered back over at him, having regained her pride and some of her courage and nerve. “Yeah?”

“I love you. Especially with your hair down like it is now.”

“You mean after you’ve raked your hands through it like hormonal teenage boy?” She quipped, obviously relieved to have not ruined the moment. But then again, he supposed, she should have known that Aisha would accept nothing less than pure romance from him, gang-life aside.

He growled deep in his chest and she giggled at his embarrassment. “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

He rolled his eyes. “This is what I get, I guess, when I date someone just as fuckin’ crazy as I am.”

“Fuckin’ straight, that’s what you get.” She laughed. “Not like you didn't see it coming.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He rolled his eyes and adjusted their position so that she was laying on his chest and he could wrap both his arms around her. “Got to sleep, Blue.”

She chuckled against him, but kissed his chest and complied. “Night, Johnny.”

“Night, Adrianne.”

For either of them, there was no sweeter words they could have said, no poetry that wouldn’t have ruined the moment and no better ending. They fell asleep just as they were, him still inside her and both of them content enough just to exist together for one startling moment of simplicity and clarity. No, there were no better words for them. Simple, blunt, and explosive. 


	15. On Your Mark . . .

Everyone was assembled in the lot in the front of Purgatory to bid their leaders farewell. Nekane was taking Johnny with her in her Venom Classic. Shaundi was taking Natalie and Pierce with her. They were finally moving into Steelport after two months of Ultor worming in on Syndicate territory. It wasn’t an easy task, but they had managed.

As Johnny had promised, Adrianne was regretting how she’d urged him on the night prior. She was sore all over and, as he predicted, she wasn’t walking straight or comfortably. She shrugged off support and concern, however, telling everyone that she gave as good as he got. Johnny himself was covered in purple hickeys that stood out above his low-rising jacket. Touching his back made him hiss in discomfort and even the silky white shirt he was wearing chafed terribly when he wore the leather over it. Neither did he complain, though. They both knew what they were getting into.

Carlos was suddenly very happy that his lover was Nekane, because he woke up that morning with no such war wounds. How people could be that animalistic with their lover, he didn’t understand, and probably never would. Nekane, however, was also feeling better after a night of fulfilling sex like no other. She suffered nothing worse than a hickey and made sure to greet Johnny with the hardest back slap she could muster. The elder gangster yelped and reflexively punched her in the ribs. However, neither apologized and only Nekane walked away saying it was worth it.

They loaded up the cars and the other two Bosses left instruction with the present hood leaders. The couples that were going to be separated for an indeterminate amount of time kissed and hugged each other, going to their respective places and waving goodbye. It was almost domestic, aside from the armament that everyone wore and the double-plated metal on the frame of the vehicles.

* * *

Blue stayed out until the vehicles had completely disappeared from sight, then went around back and grabbed her Kenshin.

“Where are you headed, Boss? Having second thoughts?” One of the Saints questioned, but she ignored him and sped off into the city. 

* * *

Carlos stood out front of the Red Light loft, like his instructions had told him to. A blue Kenshin roared into the parking space, but Carlos barely recognized the woman on it. Blue had black hair with the tips dyed purple. Her makeup had changed to a black version. Another major changed feature was that her hair was actually down. As strange as it was, that was what caught his attention the most. She was still wearing her other clothes, but it changed who she was. No wonder the other Bosses had wanted to send her in.

“Look too different for you, Carlos?” She questioned, a black eyebrow raised.

“Too different.” He agreed. She nodded with a small smile and opened the apartment door, leading him in.

“I don’t want anyone in this apartment when I’m gone. I don’t want them to see anything or get suspicious of my whereabouts.”

“Sure thing, Boss.” Carlos nodded.

“Thanks.”

“When are you leaving?”

“In a few minutes.” She said, taking off her clothing. Carlos turned away for modesty’s sake, but she didn’t seem to care. She changed with a desperate tint. Soon enough, she tapped him on the shoulder. “Have you seen my glasses?”

Carlos picked the ones on the tv up and handed them to her. “These it?”

“Yes. Thank you.” She slid them over her startlingly blue eyes and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t look that much different, do I?”

Carlos stared at her, dumbstruck. “You don’t look a little different, you look like a whole new person.”

She adjusted the unfamiliar leather. “I suppose that’s a plus. Tobias is waiting outside, right? The contact is set up?”

“I took care of everything, Blue.”

“Good. I’ll call you with updates to give to Nekane.” She nodded and left the apartment, walking over to her garage, pulling out a Kenshin which was black and red. “Good luck and Godspeed, Carlos.”

“You too, Blue.”

* * *

Johnny was cruising along with Nekane, rocking out to the Skillet song playing on the radio. Some idiot came speeding along on their bike from the on ramp and soared on ahead of them. She wasn’t wearing any protection and pulled up beside their vehicle. The biker, a woman in black and red, looked in. She wore shades over her eyes and had black hair. She let out a half-smirk and hit the nos, roaring away at top speeds into the traffic and dodging through it, seemingly on a mission to get there before them.

Curious.

However, it was quickly forgotten as an AC/DC song came on. “Fuck yeah, this is my song!”

Nekane just laughed beside him and shook her head, turning up the volume as Johnny sang along.

 

 


	16. You Chose . . .

She pulled up in front of a building that looked a retarded amount like the Phillips Building back home. Shrugging it off, she walked in, opening the elevator and hitting the button for the penthouse.

“Ah. Miss Proliv.” Phillipe Loren said from his desk, his twin bodyguards staring her down coldly. Instead of being her boisterous, insulting self, she simply nodded to him.

“Indeed. Well met, Gospodin Loren.” Adrianne answered, her voice no longer that of a white trash gangbanger, but of a Russian immigrant. “You sought a mercenary, so here I am.”

“Blunt. I appreciate that.” Loren stood from behind his desk and smiled. “May I have a first name?”

“Svyatoy.”

“Tell me, Svyatoy, what do you know of the Third Street Saints from Stilwater?”

She took a seat before his desk at his motioning and smiled. “Nothing. But I will find out.”

Philippe smiled back at her and stood with her, extending his hand. “I believe we have a deal.”

She stood as well, shaking his hand and smiling at the irony. “So we do.”

* * *

“Planet Saints?” Johnny rolled his eyes. “And a photoshoot? What kind of bullshit did you arrange with Ultor?”

“What was going to get us notoriety and passion.” Nekane answered briskly. Natalie looked up from her computer, and eyed the two older Saints.

“Gat, do you really think that we’d sell out if we didn’t have a plan? We’re moving into Steelport. Why not make a bang when we do it?”

“This isn’t a bang. A bang is a rocket launcher and an armoured car.”

Natalie rolled her eyes. “You’re hopeless.”

“You can’t always go in swinging with the biggest hammer you can find.” Nekane said.

“Yes! Yes you can!” The man cried in frustration. “Adrianne would agree with me!”

Nekane and Natalie looked to each other and spoke to each other without speaking.

“I think even Adrianne knows when to go in soft.” Natalie answered softly, looking back down to the laptop and effectively disengaging herself from the conversation.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“That means I think you need a drink.” Nekane stepped in.

* * *

“Hello?”

_“Carlos?”_

“Blue? What’s with your voice?”

_“It’s my cover. Listen quickly, okay?”_

“Sure thing, Boss. Just hold on a moment.” He dove off into the Bosses’ offices, where no Saints dared to enter. “Go. No one can hear you.”

_“Morningstar own the bank they plan to rob. Their forces are huge. They should cut their losses and pull out of there with a new place already in their pocket. This is war.”_

“Is that all?”

_“Bye Carlos.”_

“Bye-” The line went dead. He pulled the phone from his ear and just looked at the screen. “What’s gotten into her?”

* * *

Nekane pulled out her phone as the crew took Johnny to yet another photo op. “Hello?”

_“Nekane, Blue just called. Is Johnny gone?”_

“Just left, actually.”

_“Blue said that the Morningstar own the bank you plan to assault. She wanted you to do it somewhere else. She said the force was so overwhelming that you may as well abandon the place.”_

“Wait, Blue said that?”

_“Yeah. I thought it was weird too.”_

“Okay. Thanks Carlos. Talk to you soon.”

_“See ya.”_

* * *

It was an intense pain in the back of her skull. It throbbed darkly and unhappily in the back of her mind on the verge between painful and annoying. As they tossed her into the cell with Shaundi, Johnny and Nekane, Natalie groaned partly in frustration and partly in a pain she was quite happy to have left behind.

“The fuck is this?! We paid up this month.” Natalie growled out.

“Someone paid more.” The officer replied briskly and slammed the cell door, walking away without another word.

“What happened?” Johnny’s voice was level and calm with a contemplative lit.

“We got arrested.” Shaundi replied bluntly.

“No, to us. Birk was right. We traded our dicks in for pussies. Seriously? Movie deals? Commercials? The Saints name used to mean something more than body spray and some ass-tasting energy drink.”

“Our brand’s worth a shit load of money.” Natalie replied simply.

“Is that what it’s all about?” Johnny seemed much more solemn and thoughtful than he had on that battlefield back in the bank.

“It’s always about the money, Mr. Gat. Which is precisely why our employer would like a chance to speak with you.” A skank dressed in all black with sunglasses with a white rim and black lenses said, several people following after her. What was most noticeable about her entourage, however, was that she had a twin. The only way to tell them apart was that the twin had pink sunglasses with black lenses.

“If you’ll indulge us.” Pinkie’s voice was laced with business sarcasm.

* * *

None of them remembered getting on the plane. All they knew was that it was uncomfortable and annoying. To Natalie especially. Nekane was strangely silent on the whole matter.

“Do you have any idea who you’re fucking with here?” Natalie snapped, already in a bitter mood. Johnny fought against the binds beside her, despite the fact that there were several men behind them. A man was sitting in front of them in what had to be the gayest suit and scarf she could have imagined. Tighty Whitie and Miss Pink were on either side of him. Off to the left, hidden nearly completely in the shadows, was a woman in black and red leather with dark hair, pale skin and what could quite possibly be black sunglasses shading her eyes. She seemed oddly familiar.

“Of course.” The man replied, taking a whiff off of his cigar. Whitie dropped a Gat bobblehead on the endtable between her and the man. He flicked the head. “A remarkable likeness. These women are Viola,” indication towards Whitie then Pinkie, “and Kiki. I am Phillipe Loren, chairman of a multinational organization called the Syndicate.”

“Never heard of it.” Shaundi snapped haughtily.

“Evidently not. Or you would never have robbed our bank.” Loren replied smoothly. The leather-clad woman shifted uncomfortably. “Perhaps you wonder why you are still breathing at this point.”

“Actually, I wonder why my foot’s not up your ass at this point.” The fire in Johnny had returned over the contemplative man that had been in the cell with them. There was darkness and anger in his tone. Much like the day Adrianne had broken him from the courthouse and he had displayed endless defiance in the face of the judge.

Loren huffed and stood. “Like it or not, Mr. Gat, our organization is expanding into Stilwater. I am offering you the chance to leverage your assets over your lives. Ladies.”

On the board behind the chair Loren had been in, an image appeared. It was a pie graph. It was clearly marked that the Syndicate had 66% of the business market cornered. However, the rest of it was Saints.

“You may continue to operate the Ultor ‘Saints Row’ media group as you see fit in exchange for sixty-six percent of your gross revenue.” Viola said.

“That is before taxes, of course.” Kiki threw in, adding salt to the wound.

“Listen, you French fuck.” Natalie began.

“Please, I am Belgian.” Loren said.

“So make yourself a fuckin’ waffle. We’re done here.” Johnny spat with venom and distaste.

Loren tsked. “And I had so hoped to come to a rational business arrangement.”

A large man came from behind their chairs and pointed a gun at Johnny’s forehead. Johnny, however, would have none of it. Obviously, his working the binds had worked, to an extent. In an impressive show of strength, he ripped up the chair, which was bolted to the floor, and rammed into the man threatening his life. The lady in leather stood up from leaning against the wall.

Johnny knocked the man out with what Adrianne called the Shogo’s Best Friend, then turned and charged at Loren. Natalie saw the blood splatter as the knife was plunged into Johnny’s stomach. To the man’s credit, he didn’t even stop. He just ripped the knife from his own body and smashed Loren’s head into the closest window, breaking it and causing the plane to lose cabin pressure. He took out a few more guys with Shogo’s Best Friend and tossed the knife away. He flicked out his own switchblade and cut Natalie, Shaundi, then Nekane loose.

“The hell is going o-” The flight attendant started in horror, but Johnny’s switchblade embedded itself in his forehead, knocking his hat off of his head.

“Boss, you gotta bail.” Johnny commanded.

“No, not without you.” Natalie insisted.

Several people came in, firing SMGs their way. They ducked behind Loren’s desk and took cover.

“That’s what? Half a dozen guys? I can take ‘em.” Johnny muttered.

“What about the plane?” Shaundi asked, quite reasonably.

“I’ll fly it back to Stilwater.” Johnny replied.

“Johnny, you can’t even drive stick. How are you going to fly a plane?”

“Details, details. Just cover the Boss. Go. I got this.” He jumped up and grabbed the closest thug’s SMG, killing him, then firing at the others. Natalie, Shaundi and Nekane ducked into the doorway.

“Get out of this alive!” Nekane called.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Adrianne will never forgive me for this if you die!” Nekane yelled.

“Get out!” Johnny commanded harshly, managing to get out one more thing before he slammed the door closed. “She’d kill me first.”

* * *

Natalie pulled the parachute on hastily and stumbled over to Shaundi, who was radioing the cockpit.

“Johnny, we’re about to jump.” Shaundi reported. There was some growling, grunting and pained noises in response for a moment before he came on.

“Right on. I’ll see you in Stilwa-” His voice was overtaken by gunfire for a moment before it cut out entirely.

“Johnny?”

Then the plane started to rock. Nekane dove for the closest pillar and hiked her way up to the parachutes. She managed to strap one onto herself when she lost her grip, falling out of the plane with Natalie and Shaundi as well as a shitload of cargo that could cause untold damage to the city below and unthinkable deaths.

* * *

Johnny fired the rifle he’d managed to attain and killed off the next stupid bastard to try and enter the cockpit. What he didn’t count on was that someone had used that person as their personal meat shield. They fired on him and his sentence was cut off as they kicked in the radio.

He spun around, only to get kicked in the face, the rifle ripped from his hand. The woman, which it was now apparent that the person was actually female, quickly pulled something from her jacket and jabbed it into his neck.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” The woman whispered and the voice sounded distinctly alike to Adrianne’s with a Russian lit. 

* * *

Nekane jumped when Natalie punched the ATM. The Asian huffed in frustration and snapped around to Shaundi.

“Tell me you know someone.”

“Yeah. He’s got this apartment across town.”

“Nekane, you’re driving. I’ll kill someone.”

The Spaniard just looked at her friend, wishing that things had of turned out differently. A phone’s shrill tone overcame the silence that enveloped the car.

“What?” Natalie snapped.

“We’re on the Morningstar’s ass now, right?” Pierce said, far too peppy for the events that just happened.

“Yes. What about it?”

“There’s this party going on in this penthouse. I’ll call you with more details once you’re settled in.”

“This better be worth my time.” Natalie hissed, snapping the phone shut.

* * *

“What do you know?”

Nekane looked up to Natalie, who was looking down at her as she sat on the edge of her pool. “What do you mean?”

“I know that look. You knew something that you didn’t tell us.”

“Adrianne called.” Nekane admitted. “Through Carlos. She told me not to rob that bank. She told me not to.”

“That meant that she knew where their investments lay.”

“She’s good at her job, not doubt, but she warned me. And I fucking ignored it.”

“Look, even if I had gotten the message, I would have ignored it. There was no logic in thinking that they had the force of a small army standing behind those desks. We could have never anticipated that what played out would have played out.”

“I have to call Carlos and have him tell Adrianne that Johnny’s dead.” Nekane breathed out slowly.

Natalie lowered her voice. “Look, for all we know, Blue was on that plane. And if she was, there was no way in fucking hell that she was going down with it. And she would know that Johnny was there. Loren probably had her in there as muscle in case things got too hot. We need to have some faith that if she was in there, there’s a chance, a big chance, that Johnny’s alive too.”

* * *

“Don’t fuckin’ touch me.”

“I admire the fact that you command even though you do not know where you are or who you are with.” The voice that answered was lit with a Russian accent.

“Don’t fuckin’ care. I don’t want you to touch me.”

“Do you know who I am?”

“Again, I don’t fuckin’ care.”

Whoever it was in the room with him stood up and moved around behind him, sliding the sunglasses off of his face. She leaned in and her breath against his ear made him tingle. “I’ll give you a guess, Mr. Gat.”

His eyes snapped open and he looked to the woman. She was in a pencil skirt with stipper boots and a sleek, simple and classy blazer. Her eyes were hidden by blackout shades. Her whole ensemble was black with deep red accents. It also appeared that she wore gloves.

Just as he went to say her name, Phillipe Loren entered the room along with Kiki and Viola. He took one look at Johnny and he turned angrily to the woman in black. “Why isn’t he dead?!”

“I wished to know whether it would be i your interests for me to try and convert Mr. Gat.”

‘And how do you propose to do this?” He didn’t sound invested in the idea.

“There is a trick I learned back in the Motherland. It is too complicated to explain here, but I believe that if it is possible to convert Mr. Gat, then we have a tool that will overcome the morale of the Saints and weaken them.”

“Psychological warfare.” Viola murmured. “Ingenious.”

“And dangerous.” Kiki added.

“I will give you a week with him.” Loren decided, weariness in his movements. “If it is not possible in that time, then you kill him. Are we understood?”

“Kristal’no christyy, Ser.” The Russian replied, emotionless. However, Johnny could see her lips lift in a small moment of victory.

“I do not know Russian, Svyatoy.” Loren said.

“Crystal clear, Sir. I will take him and be on my way.”

* * *

The drive was long and slow from the airport. Johnny sat in chains across from Phillipe, who had Viola and Kiki on either side of him, watching the Saint nervously. Gat stared at Loren with the eyes of a predator and the white-burning rage of an enraged tiger. It was clear he was just biding his time. The Russian, Svyatoy Proliv, sat between the two factions, her legs crossed nonchalantly.

When they arrived at what was evidently the Russian’s residence, she didn’t think twice about unstrapping Johnny and just allowing him out of the vehicle. What was even more amazing was that he didn’t try to run.

Once Svyatoy opened the door, she dismissed the man holding Gat and brought him in herself.

“I have never been so happy to get out of a business ride in my life.” Loren sighed to no one in particular. Kiki nodded in agreement, but Viola just looked on ahead. 

 

 

 


	17. . . . Wisely

Svyatoy locked the door and turned to face Johnny, who stared back at her with fervent hatred. She tossed his glasses on the foyer table, paused for a moment, then tossed hers there too. She sighed and rubbed her eyes.

“Did she tell you she knew about the bank? That I warned her not to do it?”

“Who?” The question seemed to be the opposite of what he’d been expecting and it showed on his face.

“Nekane.”

He blinked in surprise. “Is she in your back pocket?”

“Not . . . exactly.” She sighed again and walked into the living room. “Come, sit.”

Reluctantly, he did so. He sat down beside her in the rather Spartan room. She looked up to him. “You gotta be fucking kidding me.”

“Johnny, let me-”

He stood in a blind rage. “No! What are you doing here?! You gonna throw me under the bus too?! I can’t believe you sold us out! After everything we did to revive the gang, you throw it all away!”

She stood too, pain and anger in her features.

Good. She needs to feel this.

“You think I _wanted_ to do this?!” Her voice was back to normal, instead of that grating Russian voice, but it was three octaves higher with her fury. “You think I _wanted_ to leave you behind?! You think I would be here if it wasn’t for the good of the gang?!”

“Don’t even try to spin that in your favour! You haven’t done this for the gang! You’re just like Julius, just like Dex! You leave as soon as the better people come! Fuck, I was stupid.”

She recoiled. Then his head was forced the other way as her fist connected with it. “You selfish cocksucker! You fucking whoremongering wretch! You don’t even take two seconds to actually listen to me to hear why I’m here! I risked everything I got going here to save your ass from that suicidal trip on the plane! You wanna start calling me names, I’ll hand you back over to Loren!”

Despite the fact that she was spitting venom into every word and she was snarling and hissing her threats, tears escaped on either side on her face. She pretended they weren’t even there, even with her eyes boring agony, fear and misery.

“Blue, look-”

“I don’t want to hear it!” She spun him around and unfastened the handcuffs. She threw them at him along with the key as she turned away. She took a deep breath, regaining her composure while she couldn’t see him. “Bathroom’s upstairs. Should be right in front of you. You can have any of the rooms except the one overlooking the city. That one’s mine.”

“Ad-”

“Did I ask for your opinion?!” There was still hurt and venom in her voice. “No. Get clean and got to bed. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“Okay.” He resigned, laying the handcuffs gently on the wooden table in the foyer, beside their glasses, before going upstairs.

That night, Johnny could hear the soft cries from the bathroom over the water. He didn’t know how long he laid awake and just listened to her sobs. He didn’t want to. His heart wrenched from his chest whenever his hearing picked up the small sounds.

* * *

 _“Hello?”_ His voice was groggy, but she didn’t care.

“Johnny’s dead.”

 _“What?”_ He sounded much more awake now. _“We thought you might have been on the plane.”_

“I was. I couldn’t save him.”

_“Do you want me to tell the others?”_

“Don’t tell anyone in Stilwater. Just Nekane.”

_“Okay, Boss. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”_

‘Thanks, Carlos. I’ll call you soon.”

* * *

“What?”

_“Nekane?”_

“Who else, Carlos?”

_“Johnny’s dead.”_

She sat up in bed. “But, Blue might have-”

_“She said she couldn’t save him.”_

She collapsed back in bed, all breath leaving her.

_“Took me away, too. Look, I’ll call you back later and we’ll talk more, okay?”_

“Okay.”

“ _Goodnight, Nekane.”_ And he hung up. She just stared back at the ceiling for a long time, using muscle memory to recall that she had to put her phone away.

Gat’s dead. I . . . He’s dead. He . . . he can’t be. It’s Gat. He wouldn’t let a plane explosion kill him. Johnny . . . Adrianne . . .

_Good Lord, have have we done?_

* * *

Johnny looked up when the door opened and Adrianne walked in. She completely ignored him and went upstairs to change. She was dressed in the same business attire as yesterday. When she came back down, she was in a black tube top with a black silk shirt on, completely undone. She was still in the stripper heels, but she was wearing skinny jeans with them instead of the black leather and red thread ones he saw yesterday on her bed. She walked right past him into the kitchen.

“I’m sorry.”

She didn’t look up from the folder there on the counter. “Uh huh.”

“What are you doing?”

“Going through this week’s objectives.”

“Where did you learn Russian?”

“Steelport is a largely Russian town. Fostered by people in Steelport. I had to learn Russian to do anything on my own, as my other family were useful for shit all. You’re a smart boy. Figure it out.”

He sighed and gently took her hands in his. “I am sorry. I didn’t think it through.”

“Aisha had you whipped, didn’t she?”

“I’m serious.” He took the glasses off and turned her head so she looked at him. “I can’t say I didn’t mean it, because I was angry and it sure felt good at the time. But that doesn’t mean I put a terrible amount of brainpower behind it. I know it wouldn’t have happened if I’d have listened to what you were going to say. I’m sorry.”

“Johnny, I-” Before she could continue her sentence, he bent down further and captured her lips. He couldn’t help it, and she surrendered to it. He broke the deepening kiss.

“You don’t know how much I missed you. Months, baby, months. Distance made my heart grow fonder. It doesn’t make up for it, but I missed you no less. I wanted you.”

She sighed as his kisses trailed onto her neck. “I didn’t want to hide it from you, but it would have screwed everything up. I couldn’t have the Saints shying away from the Morningstar just because I was in it. If this gang wasn’t so connected, trust me, I would have been right in the thick of it with you.”

He chuckled, his hands sliding down and around her waist. “I can’t say you’re wrong.”

“Sex isn’t going to make up for what you said.” She groaned, low and primal, and she felt the calluses on his hands dip under her pants. “But it is a good start.”

“You said something about converting me?”

“I did?”

“Yesterday.”

“Either we talk or you continue what you’re doing.”

“Nevermind, then."

* * *

“ _Gospodin_ Loren?”

“ _Oui, Mademoiselle_ Proliv?”

“I was successful.” She smiled. “I have been able to . . . change Mr. Gat’s mind to your way of thinking.”

“Bring him in.” Viola and Kiki stiffened on either side of him. He ignored them however, in favour of watching Johnny Gat walk into the room obediently and stop beside Svyatoy.

“ _Monsieur_ Loren.” Gat said softly, tameness in his voice.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Gat?”

“Well, sir.”

Kiki and Viola blinked in surprise. “You certainly changed him, Ms. Proliv.”

“I was fairly certain that it would work. Are you satisfied with my results, Mr. Loren?”

“Indeed. What do you plan to do with him?”

“With your blessing, I would like to have him with me on my missions. Not only is his physical prowess quite extensive, but his presence on a Morningstar team in Morningstar colours would certainly deal a heavy psychological blow to the Saints.”

“You are quite astute.” Loren smiled. “I will grant him to you. You will probably know what to do with him better than any of my other gang leaders. Dismissed.”

“ _Spasibo_. I will be on my way.”

“Wait. Before you go, what do you know of the Saints leader called the Blue Boss?”

Johnny wanted to punch Loren so bad, but Svyatoy didn’t seem phased by the question. “That they are not in Steelport. Whether they stayed behind in the Saints home city is beyond me. I would look into it for you, if that is what you want?”

“No, _merci_. Be on your way.”

“As you say, _Gospodin_.”

* * *

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Act so calm when he asked you about yourself.”

“I have been lying to him for months now. I know when he recognizes a tick and when he doesn’t. In converting you, I have proved myself invaluable. Now, we must be off to do damage.”

“Adrianne?”

“Yes?”

“When you came up with your Russian name . . . was there any specific name you translated?”

“Yes. _Svyatoy_ means _Saint_. And _Proliv_ . . . well, it means _Gat_.”

Johnny blinked in surprise. “Huh. Can honestly say I wasn’t expecting that.”

She looked anywhere but him. “Yeah, well, get used to it.”

He laughed and their drive continued.

* * *

“Shit, does that guy look like Johnny or what?” Natalie asked. Kinzie scowled.

“ _I_ wouldn’t know.”

“Shaundi! Does he look like Gat?”

“Holy shit. He does.”

“Is Johnny Gat the same man on the Saints Flow ads?”

“Yeah.”

“In that case, yes, he does.” Kinzie snapped.

“Why are you being such a bitch?”

“I don’t know. The Spaniard had been riding my ass to work faster and I can’t. We lost an apparently invaluable member of the Saints that I didn’t know about and the other apparent badass is still in Stilwater and won’t come help us here just in case something goes wrong in that shithole of a city.”

“Watch yourself, Kinzie.” Natalie’s voice lowered and her expression and body language took on a dark intent. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The technician backed down with a fearful glance. But there was no way she was letting this one slide. She was going to find out what this other Boss looked like and where they were.

* * *

“Shit.” Johnny fell back onto Adrianne’s bed as she changed into more comfortable clothing. “How long have we been doing this?”

“I dunno. Months now, I guess.”

“Shit.” He repeated. She chuckled.

“How many times are you going to say that?”

“As many as I have to.” She rolled her eyes at him.

Johnny looked much the same as he ever did, with his pristine white dress shirt now a nice maroon that complimented the olive shade of his skin and the utter blackness that was his hair. He still wore the same jeans and golden chains. His Vans were now maroon too, but were otherwise unchanged. They didn’t bother to get him another jacket, just hid his old one. His glasses were firmly in place, but that was something about him that never changed.

“Where are we off to next?”

“Nothing else today, unless Loren calls us in.”

Beside Johnny’s head, the black and blue phone buzzed. “Hello?”

“Who are you?”

“Johnny Gat.”

“Where’s Svyatoy?”

“In the shower. What’s your message?”

“We’re calling in all troops to march on the new Saints clubhouse. Tell her to meet us at the Tower. We’ll brief you there.”

“We’ll be there in a moment.”

“What was that?”

“Viola. They’re calling in all Morningstar to attack Safeword’s Saint stronghold.” Johnny sighed. “So, Boss . . . What’s the plan?”

“We show our true colours.” Adrianne said, pulling out a duffel bag and throwing the most essential clothing into it.

“Let’s do this.”

* * *

The Saints all gathered outside of Safeword, watching the cars of the Morningstar come up and blockade them in. Nekane and Natalie watched the gathering with quiet dread. Adrianne was going to be in there somewhere. She was going to attack and kill Saints and could quiet possibly have a change of heart in the Saint’s ethics. Especially now with Johnny gone.

* * *

“See them, Mr. Gat?”

Johnny looked in the direction she was indicating and saw Nekane and Natalie, standing there with pride and power oozing from their presence.

“I do.”

“They are our targets.”

Johnny blinked and leaned closer. “Loren wants them killed by us?”

“Don’t be foolish. This course of action has simply run its course.” Svyatoy looked over at him and smiled darkly. “I have a detonator. There is a duffel bag in the back of our car, which is in the middle of the road, surrounded by hordes of our enemies. I have made my own amendment to this plan, Mr. Gat. You are with me, yes?”

“Of course, Boss.”

* * *

It was like a slow motion fireworks show. One moment, a man and a woman are charging across the bridge, then a huge explosion literally blew apart the Morningstar ranks. The Saints ducked behind their cars and two bodies slid over the hoods of their Venoms and Vortexes. They rolled and spun around.

Natalie and Nekane immediately pointed their weapons at them and snarled. The woman had black hair, wrap around shades that were impenetrable to the human eye and black leather pants with a black silk shirt and a black and red striped tube top underneath.

“Hold on a fucking minute!” The woman huffed. She took off the glasses and gazed at the Spaniard, then the Asian. “I need a minute.”

“Blue?” Pierce asked, incredulous.

“Yes.” The man huffed. “And I’m Johnny fucking Gat. Lift the guns already!”

“I’d have never thought you’d go the Russian militant route.” Natalie said, sounding distant and thoughtful. “Do you even know Russian?”

“ _Znayu li ya russkiy? Nu, ya znayu. . . Konechno, ya TRAKHAYA ZNAT' RUSSKIY!_ ”

Natalie winced. “Okay, so you do know Russian.”

Blue huffed irritatedly. “Yes. I know Russian. Now, can Gat and I change or what? The Morningstar are going to figure out it was us in a moment that blew the shit out of their half of the bridge.”

“Trailer in the back. You got the clothes?” Nekane replied.

“Yeah. Be back in a minute.” Johnny and Blue dashed into the back of the trailer and came out a few minutes later. Johnny looked like he’d never changed, but Blue was wearing black and purple instead of her signature flurry of blue. “Let’s kill all these motherfuckers.”

“Damn straight.” Johnny replied.

Shaundi came running up at that moment. “Where did those bastards go?!”

“What bastards?” Nekane questioned.

“The ones that ran across the bridge.”

“You do know that it’s rude to talk about someone like they’re not even there, right?”

Shaundi spun around to run almost face-first into Gat. “Holy motherfucking shit!”

“Surprised?” He raised an eyebrow. He almost fell over when she tackled him in a desperate hug.

“You fucker! I thought you were dead!”

“You thought a plane crash would take me out so easily?” He chuckled, but hugged her back.

“Don’t answer that question.”

Shaundi snapped away from her idol to take in the new appearance of the Blue Boss. Amongst all the purple and black, her blue eyes shone stronger than ever. “What are you doing here? How did you get from Stilwater to here in, like, minutes?”

“I was never in Stilwater.” Blue explained. “I was in a Morningstar op.”

“You went undercover in the Morningstar?”

“Yeah. What’s so complicated about that?”

“And you didn’t blow shit up?”

“Nope.”

“What remarkable self-restraint.”

“Fuck off.”

“Hey, can we quit the chatter and kill these motherfuckers already?” Johnny intervened.

“Yeah. Let’s do it.” A devilish smirk came on Natalie’s face and she jumped over the car, brandishing her shotgun. “Get the fuck off my grass!”

Blue winced and Nekane laughed at her. The blue-eyed Greek scowled. “Look, it’ll never change. She curses, I get mixed feelings, okay?”

“Never okay.” Nekane rolled her eyes and hopped over the car, not waiting for the psycho’s response.

 

 

 


	18. Keeping Score Yet?

Natalie Chu wasn’t a liar. She didn’t say things she didn’t mean. A lot of the time she just didn’t say anything. But that said, there were times when she hated Johnny Gat. He was a sarcastic asshole who was more blunt than was necessary with the ability to hide any kind of emotion as well as a statue carved with the best poker face in history. He pissed her off sometimes with his murderous intent and there were times when she had to leave him behind in order to minimize the damage done to their ranks. But there was never a time before this one that she was so grateful to have him at her side.

Johnny had offered to come with her to slaughter the leader of the last gang in Steelport: Eddie “Killbane” Pryor. She almost told him no. She was really happy that she didn’t.

“It’s me or her, Natalie.” Killbane taunted from a radio in another room. “Make your choice.”

“We have to save Shaundi.” Natalie whispered.

“Fuck yeah, you do. I however, can go and kick the shit out of Killbane.” Johnny replied.

She couldn’t help but pull him into a harsh kiss. “Thank you, Johnny. Give him a good kick in the anus for me, will ya?”

“You know it.” He smirked at her and ran down the other hallway.

As she ran down the hall to Shaundi, she had a revelation. “Fuck. I am never going to live this down.”

* * *

Natalie and Shaundi ran into the room where Killbane had been hiding and found Johnny straddling his waist and beating the shit out of his face.

“Would you look at that.” The Asian Boss murmured.

“Yeah.” Shaundi winced at the sheer brutality of the display.

“Johnny?”

“Hey, Boss. How’s it going?” He looked up at them, a bloodlusty smirk shadowing his face. “Sup, Shaundi.”

“Hey, Gat.” She winced as he hit Killbane again and the man groaned in pain.

“We’re leaving and so are you.” Natalie ordered.

“Shit, Boss. Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“Fine.” He pouted like a little boy, but got off the Luchadore. He then turned that dark grin to Natalie. “Do you want a shot?”

Natalie very simply pulled her pistol from her pants and shot him in the head. “Now we leave.”

“Right on.” Johnny jumped out of the ring and followed the two women out.

“Hey, Johnny?”

“Yeah, Shaundi?”

“Aren’t Luchadores supposed to, ya know, wrestle?”

“We wrestled. I just kicked his ass.”

“How? You’re half his size.”

“You underestimate my murderous streak.”

“It seems that I do.”

Natalie rolled her eyes. “Blue?”

_“En route, moi droog. Be there in a moment.”_

“I. GET. IT. ALREADY. You speak Russian.”

_“Well, fuck me, I didn’t realize I would get shit on for trying to not speak fully in Russian anymore. My fucking apologies. Mudak.”_

“ _Mudak_? What does that mean?”

_“Asshole. By the way, Johnny rides shotgun.”_

“Bullshit!”

_“My shit. My car, my rules. Johnny rides shotgun, you stay in the back with Shaundi.”_

“I hate you.”

_“Another bad quality.”_

“Fuck off.” Natalie pulled her phone from her ear. “Bitch hung up on me!”


	19. More Interesting Than Tennis

“Wow.” Pierce breathed.

“I know.” Shaundi agreed.

“Makes you wonder where they get it from, doesn’t it?” Natalie commented.

“I would never be able to do that.” Nekane said.

“That’s why she didn’t take any fallout from the beach.” Carlos murmured in awe.

Sitting across each other at a two person table, were Blue and Johnny. At this point, it was a toss up where her shot glasses ended and his began, or vice versa. They threw back another shot and smiled at each other quite soberly.

“You two aren’t even at the point where you can’t drive, are you?”

“Not even close.” Johnny replied.

“Though, to be fair, Johnny can’t drive.” Blue giggled at his scowl.

“Oh, fuck you.”

“You need a new catchphrase.”

“The fuck does that mean?’

“You say that a rediculous amount.”

“No I don’t.”

“How many times did you say that to Dex, Johnny? It was kinda criminal.”

“Because, ya know, that’s not what we are.”

“Touché.” Blue raised another shot glass in cheers. They clinked their glasses and threw back the shot.

“When do you plan on bringing the gang back into Stilwater? Where’s our permanence going to be?” Johnny asked.

“We’re probably going to leave Shaundi and Pierce here, if Natalie consents.”

Johnny chuckled. “If Natalie consents?”

Blue shrugged. “I didn’t know she had a coin purse small enough to hold his balls either.”

“When they drink, do they always act like the people around them don’t exist?” Pierce snapped in Nekane’s ear.

“I was Julius’ Playa, so I wasn’t around for an exceptional amount of time before the betrayal, but whenever they did a drinking game like this, it was nearly impossible to breach their little world.” The Spaniard replied. “Truth be told, I’ve only seen them snapped out of it once before. And that was because Troy started practicing his fine aim. Gunfire draws these two from wherever they are or whatever daze they’re in.”

“That’s because gunfire to them has the same kind of appeal as the ice cream truck to the fat kids on the block.” Pierce muttered.

“Jealous that they have a hobby?” She teased back.

“You’re an asshole.”

‘What can I say? I’ve been spending a lot of time with Johnny and Blue lately.”


	20. Making Enemies 101

“There is nothing I have that you want.”

“Here is where we will disagree, my beautiful little minx.”

‘Here is where you will find you are wrong. I have nothing of value that you do not already possess. What more can you ask of me or my people? Leave us in peace.”

“My darling, that is not true. I can ask so much more of you. I can use what you know for my simulation. Do not think that I do not know about your morphing ability.”

“So, you plan to take over another place? All the worlds you’ve left in a crumpled mass of pain and despair haven’t been enough for your appetites?”

“No, they have not. I seek to explore what knowledge that they have. And your race will be invaluable in finding that out.”

“We are a race of Golems, Zinyak. We have offered you our magicks, yet here you stand, a victor over a victim.”

“But you are different, my fair Hypatia. And I must say, what an interesting choice of name for your parents to call you.”

“You speak of the human woman from the nation of Greece.”

“Hypatia: the martyr, the philosopher, the mathematician, the woman who eclipsed her very father in fields where only men were allowed to bask.”

“Comparatively, we are very alike. But you are avoiding the matter at hand.”

“Earth will fall. Just as this place has. And they are weaker than you. Their games should be most interesting. Especially with you as their architect, the trap their mind has been set in.”

“I refuse.”

“You will find you have no choice. I will save only the brightest and the strongest to survive in this simulation. The simulation in which the wonderment of your mind will enlighten me with.”

“I am not some program you can fiddle with.”

“Again, we must agree to disagree.”

“You will fall. All such leaders do: be they Julius Caesar, Commodus, Adolf Hitler or Osama bin Laden. There are people who you will gloss over as inconsequential that will be your downfall. You’ve done this so much you believe that you will be able to conquer everything and anything. But you are not alone in the study of humanity. That is why you have chosen me to try to break to your will. You will underestimate their subtle strength and their determination. And you will suffer for it.”

‘We shall see, Hypatia. We shall see. I look forward to proving myself right.”

“And I look forward to forcing you into being wrong.”

* * *

“Do you hear it?”

The whole company halted, though you wouldn’t know it. They made no sound when they moved, so what noise would they make otherwise?

“I do.” A French-accented voice answered. “I’ll investigate the source of the sound. Be ready to fire.”

“Of course, Captain Mercier.”

As soon as Mercier was gone from sight, some big alien thing appeared in front of the stealthy squadron. It smiled down at them.

“You are indeed all that they say about you. You must remind me to thank Hypatia’s comrades for bringing forth this information.” The whole squadron raised their gus simultaneously. Their burst rifles rattled off, but the alien seemed rather unphased by it. It tsked. “Pity. I was looking forward to seeing into your minds.”

With a wave of his hand, they evaporated. As the alien went to leave, he suddenly felt a sharp and rather painful stab into his neck.

“Retour à l'enfer, vous enculé.” The woman on his back hissed with venom. She twisted the blade viciously and malevolently, but the alien managed to get a hold of her and throw her off. In the process, her rifle come off her back and skittered away in the sand. Still, she readied her knife and fearlessly charged the strange and unearthly creature. It grabbed her by the neck and held her aloft there, despite all the gashes she tore into the flesh of his arm with her combat knife and her fingernails.

“Ah. Captain Elana Mercier of the United States of America’s Navy SEAL Team Four. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Tu te fous de sourds? Reposez-moi ou je vais foutre en l'air ta merde.”

It grinned evilly. “Oh, yes. you will be a pleasant addition to the playground. And I believe it will be there that you will be an excellent troublemaker.”

“You have no idea what kind of a little shit I can be. You won’t live to regret taking me, asshole.” Elana hissed. It chuckled at her ferocity.

“Call my Zinyak.” The grip on her neck became a little tighter. The hacks, slashes and claws became a little deeper, a little meaner.

She grit her teeth and spat her words. “Ass. Hole.”

“A fine addition indeed.”

* * *

“Your struggles are fruitless, my dear.” Zinyak chuckled.

“They do nothing but make me stronger.”

“You are such a fool, Mavrila. You are Nihil.”

“The only reason your race is not grovelling on the floor of lowliness is because you have changed the world to what you see fit. You have done this universe wrong.”

“It is hopeless to reason with him. Did you not hear Hypatia beside us just moments ago?”

The Nihil woman looked over to the glowing Seraph. “Have you given up hope so easily?”

“No. But neither will I feed his sadism by exchanging words of malice.”

The black voids that represented her eyes turned from the dim light source in the room to the looming murderer. “You are in luck. Gazardiel speaks wisdom.”

“I have no need of luck, child.” Zinyak’s smile was painfully arrogant. “Between the two of you, you are both null. Nothing you do will or can harm me. You will both undergo the Simulation. And you will both crack.”

“Your words are cheap and self-righteous.” Mavrila spat back, unable to check her spite. “You believe this world to love you. When you burn in the dismal fires of their hatred, you will come to see that all of the loathing and the pain you have caused is nothing in comparison to the chorus of voices that will rise up in revolution to your usurped, imagined power. Your only weapon is fear. What have you after that? Nothing.”

“I have seen many stronger than you break under the pressure, my dear. And I do so look forward to seeing you fall to my world. Your pettiness and your pretty words only seek to do you more harm.”

“Practise what you preach.” Gazardiel murmured, blinking white eyes at him, surrounded by her friend’s aqua green colour. “For they may be some of the most ironic lines you may say, even quoting the ironies from those Shakespearean you are so overly fond of.”

Zinyak’s smile fell and his face contorted with anger. “Pay attention to the words you speak, Seraph, for you are but a child in comparison to the Zin. Remember, you pathetic being, that you can be cancelled out whenever I please. You are nothing more than a replaceable and over-glorified light bulb in this room.”

“Stay me heart, lest there be another.” She cooed. “Begone. I have matters to attend.”

When Zinyak stepped out of the room, he looked to the soldier posted at the door. “They go into the Simulation -31. Am I clear?”

“Yes, your Lordship.”

“Good.”

* * *

“What are we going to do about him?” Mavrila asked, quickly sliding over to the other alien in the room.

“We will take what he loves. Then we will destroy it before his eyes. Then we will torture him with defeat. And from there, we will kill him.” Gazardiel said calmly, but viciously. “And when we do, for we are not alone in his collection, we will crush his legacy into a fine powder and let his empire crumble to ashes. The wind will blow away his memory and his taint soon enough.”

“And how do we plan to do this?”

“You heard him speak to Hypatia. She is Simulation 31. Even were he to place us in Simulation -31, she still controls it. She will guide us to life conscious again, and we will make our allegiances with whatever planet Zinyak so seeks to maim or destroy. Thus, so begins our part in this game of thrones.”

* * *

Despite having the very essence of your destruction in the same room as you, Gazardiel and Mavrila seemed to get off to a good consensus. This would not do, and their words made him angry.He did not often get angry, and when he did there were two things that calmed him down:

I] Watching people’s tortures take place and

II] Witnessing the pain and suffering of an enslaved race as they power his ship.

Since the first option would only make him vomit if he tried it, he went with the second option and watched a race borne from a star suffer.

Below him were thousand and thousands of multicoloured and colour-shifting bodies, all sleek and fluid with a more feminine influence. They were a race of energy-producing beings that he had found while getting annoyed that a sun, without any accompanying planets, would dare to get in the way of his conquests. So, naturally, they had blown it up. What comes forth, but a race of strange energy humanoids. They simply begged to be enslaved as never-ending batteries with their sexlessness and their almost racist indistinction from one another.

Zinyak walked down and between the rows of captive Aura, laughing or mocking some of the Aura’s sickly, broken or dead. To see an Aura die or lay dead was one of the most profound things he’d ever come across. They are bright lights in an otherwise unlit and unlivable room. The whole space simply gleamed with the teeming of their individually twinkling lights. A dead Aura turned black and left char on your hands if you touched it. More often than naught, they disappeared entirely before anyone noticed they were gone. This had lead to some ship-scouring moments only to find that the Aura they were searching for was a pile of ashes. How can something as ethereal as energy not only burn away, but leave behind ash as well? To say it made no sense would be absolutely astute. To try and understand it was madness.

That all being said, there was one Aura that just refused to die. Despite it’s name, he strongly believed it to be a she. Her voice was higher than some of her comrades and she displayed much more prominent curves. She could have very easily been a pet instead of a slave.

Unlike many of the other slaves here, she hardly moved as the life was drained from her. She looked to be one of the youngest in the room, but with a race like hers it was hard to tell. She had most certainly been in here the longest, with the most taken from her at a time. Even though she didn’t seem adamantly against him, like Mavrila or Gazardiel, or even Hypatia, he wasn’t stupid enough to think that she wasn’t just acquiescing to his status and accepting the inevitable. She seemed to be constantly thinking, and no matter how many times he’d brought her out to speak with her, he had done nothing but stare blankly at him, as if the words he spoke had no effect on her whatsoever. She did nothing more than look at him blindly. Yet, he could never shake the feeling that she was something special. The opinion had yet to change, and yet again, in a more frustrated moment, he took his pleasure in bringing her out. Funnily enough, he had never learned her name. That guard claimed she spoke to one of the other slaves, but it was too good to be true for him Nothing of the like would come to pass before him and he knew it.

“Awaken, my fair Jezebel.” He cooed, watching as those listless, unreadable, colour-shifting eyes snapped open. As always, she ignored his helping hand and simply followed him into his offices, where she sat across from him and watched him. He sighed at her. “Do you even speak? No, of course not. We have addressed this before, haven’t we? There is nothing that I will say or do to make you speak.”

“You blew up my home and enslaved me and my kind. What did you expect me to say without getting myself killed?”

His head snapped up to her. “You speak!”

She blinked back at him, but she remained as poker faced as ever.

“We’re back to this, are we?” He sighed. “Why is it that you to not flatter me with your voice? I don’t even know your name.”

“You have yet to delight me with your name and I still do not know the reason why my home is gone. You cannot simply will it to be otherwise and bend reality to your whim.”

“Such a beautiful voice. So smooth and ringing, like a wind chime in a soft breeze.” He smiled at her. “But you are correct. I am Zinyak. Your sun is gone because it was in the way.”

“We were in the way of no political affairs.”

“You were literally in my way.”

Her stone mask cracked and she scowled. The energy from her body whirled around her noiselessly, making her hair move and even float at times. She seemed like an avenging goddess, no matter if she were to be laying down, sitting, standing, floating or sleeping. What intrigued him here was how her energy seemed to actually slow. Suddenly, he was slammed into the back wall. She appeared over him like a defied demon.

“My name is Caelus. It is Latin for Space, Heaven, Air and Sky.”

He followed her quickly, only to find her laying back down on her table as if nothing had changed and he had little more than dismissed her.

“Caelus. Huh.” He smiled. He enjoyed her company, despite how strange their connection truly was. Maybe it was obsession talking, overriding the logic that screamed at him to kill her for this display of ignorance and unabashed display of violence on her part, but he couldn’t seem to find anything more for her than utter adoration.

* * *

Caelus smiled in her mind’s eye, watching as he suffered yet again. he was a foolish dog to push her so hard, and when she had finally snapped, he had done nothing more than smile dopily in her direction at her nonchalance.

He had equipped all of the tables with access to the common Simulations so that as you were slowly sucked of your life force, you could at least find love, affection, desire and peace in a false solace. Maybe she was at the point now where if she stopped being the ship’s main energy provider and slowly appeared to ‘die’ from the workload, he would release her for longer. With luck, he would take enough of a shine to her in order to let her some small access to Hypatia’s Simulation 31. With luck.

“And I’m the silent fool.” She murmured. “Huh. I suppose my voice does sound like wind chimes.”

 


	21. Who Says You Can't Go Home?

_“What do you think that you’re going to do with Steelport, now?”_ Carlos asked.

“I don’t know. There’s a lot that we have to sort out still.”

_“You’ll be coming back to Stilwater, though, right?”_

“Of course. Once everything is settled here and we decide who is staying where and controlling what, the old gang will be back in Stilwater.”

_“I assume that means Johnny and Blue are pushing for this thing to go faster.”_

“They are. And it’s making Natalie crazy.”

_“Well, for their sake and hers, I hope you get this resolved soon. I want you back home.”_

“Aww. Getting all sentimental on me now, are we?” She teased.

_“It really sucks sometimes that I can’t puppy-dog eyes you over the phone.”_

“Would you like to move over to facetime?”

 _“I’ll see you soon enough.”_ He laughed.

She stopped walking as she noticed the familiar green colours. “Look, Carlos, I’m gonna have to call you back.”

_“Okay, niña. Be good.”_

“I’ll do my best.”

Nekane hung up the phone and pulled out her SMGs. She scowled and opened fire. The Luchadores started and ran. They didn’t get far, however, as she mowed them down.

“Thank you.”

Nekane looked down at the person she’d inadvertently rescued. “You’re welcome.”

The distantly familiar woman stared at her for a moment. “Nekane?”

“Pardon?”

“Is your name Nekane?”

She stiffened and her grip on the SMGs tightened. “How to you know that?”

“It’s me. Fernanda.”

The lights went off in her head with ringing sounds. “Fernanda? Por Dios, it is you.”

She holstered the powerful weapons and pulled her old caretaker to her feet. They embraced. “My, you’re strong. Tell me, what happened all those years we were apart?”

“Do you know a good coffeehouse? This may take a while.”

“Sure. This way.”

* * *

“That’s how I came to be here.”

“And what of this Carlos Mendoza?”

“He’s back in Stilwater, waiting for me and the rest of the gang to return.”

Fernanda sat back in her chair, openly astonished. “Wow. You’ve certainly come a long way from being that girl that didn’t understand prostitution.”

Nekane chuckled. “Indeed I have. Tell me, Fernanda, what happened while I was gone?”

“Would you believe it, Mia and Diego got married and have three children. Diego started work for Ultor and is the lead designer for infrastructure with the city. They were going out for six years before Mia got pregnant. They married a year after Ysabella was born. Their other children are Silvestro and Elightana. Beautiful children. You’d love them. Mateo went into business with Mia and they developed a computer network that they sold to the Syndicate. They made a better one a few months later and sold it to Ultor, sucking both companies into a money vacuum. It was genius on their part.”

“What about you and Bruno. What happened to you two?”

At this, Fernanda went quiet. “I got brain cancer and lost my job. I’ve been living with Mia and Diego. They’ve given me a small house and they pay me to look after their children. Mateo has offered to pay for my treatment and hasn’t let me say no. Bruno . . . well, he was mad that we ascended from street life into the real world. He joined the Luchadores and threatened to kill all four of us on more than one occasion. It was a sad state of affairs for a long time before Ultor and the Saints moved in. Mia even went as far as to hire ex-Syndicate mercenaries to kill whatever gangs came after us. I always thought that it was kinda strange that the Saints never did half the damage that the Luchadores did. Last I heard, Bruno had run off with Killbane to hide and send the ultimatum to the Saints.”

“That means Johnny killed him.” Nekane murmured.

“Johnny? Gat?”

“Si.”

“He’s the man on the billboards for Saints Flow, isn’t he?”

“To his dismay.” Nekane laughed.

“He’s a killer?”

“Fernanda, we all are. Every last one of us has killed, stolen and bled.”

“Oh. He just looks too well off to do something like that. But I suppose so does that Shaundi lady. So do you, to be honest.”

“Always the kind one, Fernanda. So, how is the treatment coming along?”

“Alright. There’s only so much that you can expect from your friends and they’ve outdone themselves. But they have their own things to work towards.”

“How much is it at the best hospital?”

“Neka-”

“Answer me, Fernanda.”

She chuckled. “You certainly grew into your own. The best hospital in Steelport wants a million dollars with taxes for their best treatments.”

“Done.”

“What?!”

“Your treatment will be changing over to my care now. Make sure to thank Mateo, Mia and Diego for me for taking care of you.”

Tears welled up in Fernanda’s eyes and she stood. She wrapped Nekane in the most fervent, shaky, adoring hug she could. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“You took care of me for all that time.” Nekane hugged her back. “Look, tonight we have a premier for Pierce’s new movie and accompanying album. What about if you, Mateo, Mia, Diego and their children come? Red-carpet affair.”

“You can’t do that for us.”

“Watch me.”

“I’ll call them and get back to you on it.”

Nekane saw the guilty shadow pass over Fernanda’s face. “But?”

“I have nothing that would even remotely be acceptable to wear.”

“Do you really think that I wouldn’t make sure that you had only the best?”

Again, she was overtaken by the warm embrace of the woman who she’d come to respect more and more as the years had passed. She smiled contentedly and held the older woman as well.


	22. These Harpies Do

“What premier is going on tonight, girls?”

“Pierce Washington’s Take Your Shot. Whole red-carpet affair.”

“Good girl, Eugenia. What about you, Ursula?”

“The stars in attendance are: Pierce Washington, Shaundi, Natalie Chu, Nekane and Johnny Gat.”

“Johnny Gat?” Bertrude piped up, eyes hopeful.

“Yup. The one and only.” Ursula gave a toothy smile that was missing some teeth.

“Will he be coming with anyone?” Their mother, Bertha, asked.

“Some whore they only call Blue. But I’m sure we can get rid of her.” Ursula assured.

* * *

A sleek blue Attrazione pulled up in front of the red carpet. Out of the driver’s door, Johnny Gat appeared, dressed ridiculously casual for such a formal occasion, though somehow managed to remain just as sophisticated as the other attendees. He walked around the front of the car and opened the other door, letting out a woman who had her long blue hair hanging loosely around the top of her thighs. Her makeup was all a pale teal, accentuating the shocking electric blue of her eyes. The dress she wore was simple, being strapless and form-fitting to it’s end halfway down her thigh. It was a crystalline, icy sea foam colour with sequins that flashed the same sapphire colour as her hair. A huge tattoo took up her right forearm and threw of whatever elegance she was hoping for. Along her left bicep, there was a ringed tattoo of a flame with wings coming off of it. They were a deep shade of blue as well.

She stepped out of the vehicle and took his offered hand. He tossed the keys to the valet and he went off to park the sleek, foreign panther. The couple walked down the carpet with swagger and inborn rights to own that walkway. They gave off an aura of power and strength as well as an undercurrent of danger and darkness.

“Is that the Blue Bitch you mentioned?” Eugenia asked.

“Yeah.” Ursula answered.

“And you couldn’t find her real name?”

“Nowhere. She’s a fucking ghost.”

“Well, it’s time to end her permanently.” Bertrude smiled.

* * *

“Mr. Gat! Mr. Gat!”

Johnny smiled mischievously at the gathered audience. There was a roar of approval from the females in the audience. Adrianne laughed beside him.

“You’re a shit disturber.” She giggled, her hand sliding into his.

“Fuckin’ eh.” He grinned back.

“Mr. Gat, may we have a word?” A reporter asked.

“Sure.”

The reporter pulled them out of the way of the other celebrities. “We heard you were killed in a plane crash. Obviously, this is not the case. What really happened?”

“Some really good luck.”

“Can you elaborate more?”

“Not unless you got a vodka-fueled evening to spare.” He grinned roguishly, but charmingly.

“Not today, Mr. Gat. All the women want to know: who is the lady you have with you this evening?”

“This is my girlfriend, Blue.” He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

“Girlfriend?” The reporter looked more than a little shocked. “Well, thank you for your time.”

“No problem.” He smiled and lead them back out onto the strip.

* * *

“Mr. Gat! What a surprise!” Eugenia smiled toothily, strutting up to them.

“Not really. Pierce is in my gang.” Johnny replied briskly. He didn’t seem too impressed to see her again.

“We heard you were killed in a plane explosion.”

“You go fuckin’ blind?”

Eugenia started at the blue haired woman’s words. “Pardon me?”

“You fuckin’ heard me.” She retorted, a smirk on her lips.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Watch your mouth.” Johnny snarled. Again, Eugenia was caught by surprise at his temperament. “She’s my girlfriend.”

“Can I have a word with her?” Eugenia asked politely, batting her eyelashes.

The woman who was only known as Blue never ceased her eye contact with the other woman. “Johnny, go see what’s up with Nekane and maybe flatter one of her friends.”

“You sure.”

“Yeah. I’ll handle this.”

He walked away, albeit with caution and clear distaste. Eugenia smiled cruelly. Ursula closed in on Johnny out of the corner of her eye.

“Do you really think you can handle him?”

“Listen, you cocksucking motherfucking whore.” Blue said, her voice at a low, displeased tenor. “You know shit all about me. I’m a leader of the motherfucking Saints. Say one more word, and I’ll cut that fucking tongue out of your mouth.” With that, she started to walk away.

“Do you really think he won’t find out that you’re white trash eventually? That you’re nothing more than a lowly thug from Stilwater?” Eugenia snapped back, making Blue stop. Surprisingly, the Blue Boss just laughed,

“You know shit all about Johnny, don’t you? Johnny was my lieutenant when I joined the Saints.”

“All you are is a pussy to him. You’re nothing more than a fuck.”

“Which explains why we’ve been friends for over ten years and lovers for almost four. Fuck, you’re stupid.”

“How many times do you think I’ve slept with Gat?”

“None. You have Hepatitis.”

“I do not!”

“So says you.”

* * *

_“I’ll fucking kill you, you little slut!” Eugenia yelled from the front door as Adrianne revved her stolen Kenshin on the road._

_“So says you.” The redhead gave all three sisters the middle finger and roared off down the street._

* * *

“You do know that she’s a gang whore, right?” Ursula said, sliding up next to Johnny. The eldest Saint backed away from her.

“Of course I do. She wouldn’t be my Boss otherwise.”

“She’ll never actually love you. She’s incapable of emotion.”

“Because you would know.”

“Just look at her. She’s too ugly and gang to get anywhere close to the famous kind of status you have. She’s using you.”

“But it would be okay if it was you instead?”

“I would never use you.”

“Yeah. I was a Saint before she was. If anyone’s street trash-turned- megastar, that would be me.”

“Oh, no. You have always had talent and aspirations. Unlike your accompaniment.”

“The Boss is the person who broke me out of death row. She’s the woman that brought the Saints back together. She’s the badass that orders me around.”

“You don’t see her like the rest of the world does. You deserve so much better, Johnny.”

He pushed her off of him. “We are not on a first name basis, bitch. Go fuck someone more fucking stupid than me.”

She looked scandalized. “That’s no way to talk to a lady!”

He leaned in close with a predatory, but dark, grin on his face. “All I see in front of me is a fuckin’ fame whore. Like I said, go fuck some lonely bastard.”

“You’re a piece of shit!”

“And I’m not afraid to kill a fuckin’ stupid ass woman, either.”

* * *

“Your name is Adrianne, isn’t it?”

Blue stiffened. Her blue eyes sharpened into sapphire razors. “Fuck you say?”

“You’re that ungrateful little shit that ran away.”

“Ungrateful? Bitch, I was more fuckin’ grateful than anything to get the fuck outta there. You beat the shit out of me.”

Eugenia tsked. “You never could appreciate us.”

“No, I couldn’t. But I could appreciate that I was fostered. That way people didn’t think I was associated with you or your fuckin’ bathroom prostitute getup.”

“I never had sex with anyone in the bathrooms! Those photos were Photoshopped.”

“Yeah. I took those pictures and hacked your Facebook. Not Photoshopped.”

“You fucking little bitch. How much is he paying you to fuck him?”

“Well, let’s see. We have a healthy sexual relationship, we love each other to death and our favourite pastime involves so many explosions that even after we broke up the first time, we remained best friends. So, he’s paying me with overwhelming amounts of actual affection.”

“I hate you.”

“Ditto.”

“I don’t think you understand what this means for you. You’ve just made a very powerful enemy.”

“I’ve taken down the West Side Rollerz, Vice Kings, Los Carnales, Brotherhood, Sons of Samedi, Ronin, Luchadores, Deckers and Morningstar and made the Syndicate and Ultor my bitch-pets. What the fuck do you think you’ll be able to do to me that hasn’t already been done?”

“You’ll regret it.”

“Right. I’ll keep that in mind. Have fun, sleazebag.”

 

 

 


	23. Karma, Bitch

The door opened.

“Blue?”

“What is it, Nekane?” A blue head of hair groaned.

“There’s a man here to see you.”

She pulled her head out from under her pillow. Johnny shifted closer to her in his sleep as she tried to move away. His arm was around her waist and his head was nestled between her shoulderblades. Blue looked back at Nekane.

“What’s his name?”

“Andrew McLellan. He said he was a good friend of your father’s.”

“By ‘father’, could he by any chance mean Nikolai Alexeivich?”

“How did you . . . ?”

Adrianne was out of bed in a moment’s notice, pulling on her bell bottom jeans with her tube top and a pair of Third Street Saints Converse. She brushed her hair exceptionally quickly and threw it into a bun.

“Where ya goin’, babe?” Johnny asked groggily, rubbing his eyes.

“Something really bad has or is going to happen.” She replied quickly, throwing on her makeup with a professionalism that even Shaundi would be hard-matched to beat.

At her words, Johnny was suddenly very awake. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll explain once I know. Get dressed.”

* * *

“Mr. McLellan?”

The old Scotsman stood form his seat. “Are you Miss Asphodel?”

“I am. But I must ask, how did you find that out?” She asked, coming into full view.

“I’m a good friend of your father’s, lass. For Nikolai, I would do anything. I remember seeing you as a little lass. You look so much different.”

She chuckled. “I guess you could say that. But you’re not here to remark on my appearance. What’s going on?”

“Nikolai is in the hospital. He went in to get his pneumonia checked up on and they found out that he also had flesh eating disease. He wanted me to find you before he went, if I could.”

She was stock still. A man came down the stairs behind her, his black hair messy and unruly, but brushed. He had on a pair of purple high tops with faded and ripped jeans as well as a dress shirt with the top few buttons undone. He also wore two golden chains around his neck.

“What’s up?” He asked. That seemed to snap her from her trance and her face hardened.

“Where is he?”

“I’ll-”

“Andrew, tell me where he is.”

“Fort Murray Hospital.” He replied.

“Do you want to come?”

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

Adrianne nodded. “Johnny, you coming?”

“Yeah. But why are we going to a hospital?”

“The only family member I’ve ever had worth remembering is dying.” She said coldly, grabbing her keys from the kitchen counter. “Let’s move."

* * *

Eugenia, Ursula and Bertrude sat in the room, watching their father slowly die. He didn’t even acknowledge the fact they were there. Bertha was annoyed by this. A week ago, he had taken a private audience with that bastard lawyer friend of his, then he had shut down completely. He didn’t respond to anything. And for the life of her, she couldn’t get in contact with Andrew. Something was off, because she knew that was where he placed his will. It seemed like Andrew was either screening his calls or busy looking after something else that was unprecedented in his career.

“Stop being a prick and answer us.” Bertrude said.

“Yeah. Stop ignoring us.” Ursula huffed.

“You never cared about us.” Eugenia snorted. “So why start now, right?”

“Nikolai, where is the will?” Bertha grunted, annoyed at her husband’s lack of response.

Suddenly, through the quiet hum of the machines and the non-stop bitching of the women in Nikolai’s life, the door was kicked open, cracking the stucco. A blue haired woman remarkably resembling that of the woman from the premier a week back stood in the doorframe. She stepped into the room and pointed into the hallway.

“Get the fuck out.”

Bertha stood and waddled her way over the young, scarred woman. “Who the fuck-”

Blue gave one solid punch that shattered the fat bitch’s nose. “I’ve wanted to do that for soooo fucking long. Now, if anyone else doesn’t want any broken bones, fuck off.”

“There’s my will.” Nikolai murmured with a smile. His voice was hoarse from disuse, but still very much a functional part of his body.

“You fucking bitch!” Bertha howled.

“You heard me.” She looked pointedly over at her ‘sisters’. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”

“This is our father, you adopted brat. You get out.” Eugenia snapped bitterly.

Adrianne’s smile was bloodlusty. She appeared next to the eldest sister and yanked her to her feet by her hair. She yelped in pain and scrambled to follow where she was being pulled. When she got to the door, Johnny had a split second to pull Andrew against the wall beside him. Eugenia was kicked in the back and sent face-first into the unforgiving steel railing on the other side of the hall.

“Who’s fucking next?” Adrianne pulled her pistols, Fletcher .45 magnums. “ ‘Cause I don’t like any of you. It would be my pleasure to add your brains to the wallpaper. Out.”

“We’re not going anywhere.” Bertha spit. “This is my husband and I do as I-”

Adrianne smiled and blew the smoke from the barrel. “Bang.”

Bertha’s corpse fell to the ground, a hole blown through her head. Ursula squealed in fear, pulling her legs up to her chest.

“I’ll go! I’ll go!” She cried. She bolted from her chair and out of the door.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” Bertrude cried.

“I’ve killed people with less context. I’ve killed people just because they were there. Get out.”

“Okay, you psychotic bitch!”

“That’s not good.” Johnny commented as Bertrude exited the room. Another shot fired and she screamed, clutching her shoulder. It made her run faster, though. Eugenia hadn’t moved from the ground.

Johnny lead Andrew into the room.

“Someone put a sheet over that cow.” Adrianne spat, walking over to Nikolai. Her voice lowered and she softened right up. “How are you doing, Dad?”

“Not too bad, devochku.” He smiled softly. “I’m on amazing amount of medications that make the pain leave me. But I know I will not make it much longer. That is why I had Andrew look for you. I did not know you had hidden yourself so well in the blackness. Where did you go after you left us?”

“I went back to Stilwater, Otets. I didn’t know where else to go.”

“Where did you go from there?”

“I made friends with a girl named Aisha and lived out of her house until I was fourteen. I became a member of the Third Street Saints after that and rolled with them. I finished school a year and a half early and became a full time member.”

“You joined a street gang?”

“I really didn’t have anything else that would propel me any farther than I already was. I could have gotten a respectable job, but I would still be homeless. At least I could live in the crib if worse came to worse.”

“Tell me, Adrianne, did you find love?”

“What do you mean? Another family? A man?”

“Either or.” He answered softly.

“The Saints are my family. And from them I got Johnny.” She motioned back to the muscular man with his attractively messy hair.

“A lover?”

“Yeah.” She smiled softly at him.

“Come over here, molodoy chelovek.”

Johnny approached the elder man cautiously, standing slightly behind Adrianne. “Sir?”

Nikolai smiled. “Respectful. I can appreciate that. You are a gang member too, yes?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“You are a Saint?”

“Yeah.”

“He was my lieutenant for a long time before I became the Boss and he became my right hand.” Adrianne explained. “I was part of his crew.”

“Do you care for her?”

“To the best of my ability.”

“I wish you the best, Johnny.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Adrianne looked down at the hand she held. “How long do they expect you to live?”

“I passed that two days ago. Any minute could be my last.”

“I’m sorry, Papa. It wasn’t my intention to go this long without seeing you.”

“I need you to do one thing for me, porozhdeniye.”

“Anything.”

“Accept my will. Andrew.”

The lawyer stepped forwards. “It is written in your name. Everything that he owns belongs to you as of order of this will, as well as his stakes in his businesses.”

“Businesses?” She took the document and scanned it. “Papa, you own part of the Syndicate?”

“I was a stockholder when the company first started. I have made millions and billions on the success and the decline of companies. It’s all yours.”

Adrianne just stared blankly at the pages before her. “What do I say?”

“Yes.” Johnny said flatly. “He wants you to, you do.”

“Are you sure this is what you want? Can’t your daughters dispute this?”

“Did you really think I would give life to such swine as that? Bertha was a common whore. She slept with me once, the night we wed. Aside from even that, my sperm is invalid. Even if I wanted children, I could have none. Those three were born devilspawn. I will leave them nothing they don’t deserve.”

“Okay. I’ll carry this out.” She smiled at him and he squeezed her hand in response.

Adrianne and Johnny stayed into the wee morning hours of the next day. During that time, the ECG monitor slowed down little by little. By five the next morning, Adrianne and Johnny were in a Freckle Bitch’s, talking about anything but the powerful, big, strong, kind, intelligent and gentle Russian man that was now a light extinguished from the world.

* * *

Adrianne hung up the phone and sighed, rubbing her eyes. Johnny walked over from the bar fridge in the Red Light Loft and rubbed her shoulders.

“There’s an eviction notice on their door in Steelport, I’ve made the funeral arrangements for him and ordered the headstone. I’ve met with his financial advisor and had all of his accounts transferred into my name. I’ve hired Mr. McLellan on to deal with whatever legal bullshit that they’re sure to throw my way and I now own a majority stake in the very company I infiltrated with the intent to destroy.”

“You need to sleep. Naked. Moulded against my side and protected from the world in my arms.” Johnny murmured into her ear. She leaned back in her chair against him.

“I think you’re right. I also really want wild sex. And I want to be bitten. Alot.” She looked up at him, removing the sunglasses and pulling him down into a kiss. “I want you to bite me so hard that I bleed.”

He grinned. “That, I can do."

* * *

The doorbell rang to their house. Ursula was the only one with enough function left in her to answer. She opened the door and was face to face with a pair of sunglasses.

“Just wanted to make sure you got this in person.”

“Gat?”

He smiled humourlessly and walked back down the pathway to the Venom Classic that was waiting for him.

“What does this mean?” She called after him. He ignored her, getting in the vehicle and revving the powerful engine. Within moments, he was gone off into the traffic of Steelport.

Ursula opened the folded paper and her jaw dropped.

_Evicted. From our own home. Because Dad left all of his stuff to that adopted bitch? He would abandon us like that?_

_We’ll see about this, Adrianne._

 


	24. Revenge For . . . Revenge . . . ?

“Didn’t think I’d see you back so soon.”

Blue spun around to come face to face with Troy Bradshaw. “Yeah, well, things went a little different than planned. Though, to be fair, when does everything ever actually go right?”

He chuckled. “Good question. So, what happened?”

“That’s a long story.”

“When are you free? I’d like to hear it.”

“Would Susan allow you to?”

He grinned boyishly, rubbed his neck and looked down. “I explained what happened between us. I told her everything about the undercover op and that she’s lucky that you’ll still trust me any closer than six feet under.”

“That is a good point. Johnny certainly doesn’t.”

“Don’t I know it. What about Nekane and Natalie?”

“I haven’t told anyone about us meeting, actually.” It was her turn to look sheepish. “And I kinda didn’t plan on it.”

“Fair enough. So, do you have time to spare?”

“I can make time. Tell me when you’ve got a dull night shift or something and I’ll drop by the station.” She smirked wickedly. “An indefinite coffee break.”

He snorted. “Wouldn’t that be the life. Not that I need any more reason to drink coffee or smoke.”

“Still a smoker? Even with a kid? For shame.”

“Fuck off.” He rolled his eyes.

Bertrude smiled as she watched their friendly interactions. Her camera made a small clicking noise and she vanished into the weekend crowds.

* * *

“Uh, Boss?”

Natalie didn’t stop typing. “Yes?”

“There’s a package here addressed to ‘The Boss’. Who should I give it to?”

“Just leave it on my desk. I’ll find out which one of us it’s meant for.”

“Thanks.” He set the small parcel down and walked out.

After a few moments, Natalie finally admitted to herself that all previous concentration would be lost until she opened the package. So, that’s what she did. For a second or two, she took the time to blink repeatedly, as if it would change what she was seeing. It didn’t.

“This is going to get ugly."

* * *

As per orders, all the Bosses and lieutenants appeared in the Saints Row Mega Condo. Now, this place was normally just filled with Saints charged with the area’s upkeep who came up here to chill. It’s actual purpose was to deal with business matters that shouldn’t be within easy hearing range of the street Saints. This was the place where they had made the deal that made Ultor the Saints’ personal plaything. So, being a semi-business complex with an added element of seclusion and soundproofing, this was the perfect place for the seven of them to get shit sorted out.

“Why’d you call us here, Nat? Pretty much everyone lives around Purgatory. Why here?” Nekane asked.

“What kind of shit are we here to deal with anyways?” Johnny asked, pointedly gazing at the other Asian over his glasses.

“This.” She said dismally, tossing a manilla envelope onto the table, which spit out pictures in a scattered fashion over the maple table top. Carlos was the first to pick up one of the images.

“Oh, shit.” He muttered.

“What is it?” Shaundi murmured, looking over his shoulder. Her eyes got wide and she looked to Blue with an almost accusing gaze. “Oh, no.”

Each of them grabbed a picture, Blue and Johnny being the last ones to reach for one. He got to it first, however, and she was left in the dark .

Nekane’s eyes immediately darted up to Blue’s. “What have you done?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been feeding information to the Chief of Police!” Pierce accused, quite loudly.

“What?”

“How could you?” Shaundi muttered dismally, obviously hurt.

“I . . . I don’t-”

“How long were you in his pocket?” Natalie snapped.

“Huh?”

“Did you think like Julius?” Nekane asked lowly, almost too low to be heard over the screamed allegations.

“Slow down. What did I-?”

“You know what you’ve done!” PIerce hollered. “You sold us all out!”

“I guess someone had to break eventually.” Carlos mumbled.

Johnny stared blankly at the image in his hand, seeming to fade into the background as the other heads of the Saints started to melt down.

“Is this how we almost got killed by Ultor? Were you feeding all the authorities?!” Shaundi accused. “If you’re working with the police, then who else have you sold your soul to? Huh? ANSWER ME!”

Blue stood and slammed her palms into the dark maple with as much force as she could muster. The boom was deafening. “ _SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LET ME SPEAK BEFORE YOU FUCKIN’ CRUCIFY MY ASS!_ ”

The room fell silent. Johnny sat forwards and slid his photograph over to his personal boss.

“Is it actually you in there?” He inquired, his voice low and quite timid.

She looked down at it and scowled. “Yeah. It is.”

“Why, dawg?” Pierce cried. “Why would you do this to us?”

Blue snapped her gaze up to him and the blue irises burned uncomfortably into his soul. “Wait, so you honestly think that I would even think of selling any of you out?”

“Julius did it, Blue, and he formed the Saints.” Natalie reasoned coldly, her gaze less intense, perhaps, but certainly less humanizing.  “I don’t see any logical reason as to why you wouldn’t.”

“How about because you’re the only family I’ve ever had? How about because I care more about the people at this Goddamn table than I do

about the people that raised me? How about because I’ve dedicated my life to this gang and came back to it after a boat explosion that would have left me with perfect anonymity to go about a normal life? How about because it would be totally fucking stupid to break Johnny fucking Gat out of prison when he would be possibly the one person that could completely ruin any plan I had going? How about because I went undercover into a fucking corporation just so you guys could have a leg up on their operations? Julius was never on the street with us, Natalie, and you know it. He was in the perfect position to to whatever the fuck he pleased. He was the only boss. Look around you! There are three of us in this room. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t thwart the Saints, because you two would fuck me over! Think about this!”

“Then explain the pictures!” Shaundi demanded.

“I was sent in undercover as a mercenary. I’m a fucking gangbanger, not Asha Odekar. I didn’t know shit about going undercover to betray someone else’s misplaced trust. Guess who did? Troy Bradshaw. I was good friends with Troy back in the Church and he was even kind enough to pillage evidence and lock it in my apartment, just in case. I can never respect him or even trust him like I did back in the Church. I wouldn’t tell him about any operations of the Saints if it was in his power to stop us. But we were in another city. We were in another county. It wouldn’t matter if he knew, because he couldn’t stop us. Police can’t do shit without evidence and despite my word, he had nothing to go on to say that it wasn’t more than a ruse. I don’t know what you fuckin’ expected from me. I needed help. So I went and got it. Is it really that bad? Am I not allowed to talk to him? Just . . . pretend that he’s not the Chief of Police and I’m not the Blue Boss just for a couple of hours?”

“Yeah, it is!” Pierce yelled. “Because this isn’t fuckin’ make believe! We only have your word to go by, and it’s obviously not fuckin’ trustworthy!”

Blue stood straight and just stared at him for a long moment before grabbing her chair and throwing it at him.

“YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT ABOUT ME! NONE OF YOU DO! YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW MY REAL FUCKING _NAME_ , PIERCE!”

There was a kind of choked sound that come from her and she sprinted out of the room. The door to the condo slammed hard enough to rattle the decorations. The room itself was dead quiet.

“What are we doin’?”

Natalie looked up at Johnny. “What do you mean?”

“We’re all sittin’ here, throwing around these pictures like they’re some sort of final nail in her coffin because she’s been so fuckin’ suspicious up until now.” He sighed heavily. “Have we really reduced ourselves to this?”

“She needed to be confronted about it.” Natalie replied.

“Yeah, she did, but that doesn’t mean we start arbitrarily comparing her to Julius.”

“How would you have had this go down then, Gat?” Pierce hissed.

Johnny stood and looked down on the black lieutenant with a scowl. “I’d have had us treat her like a fuckin’ human being with fuckin’ feelings. You wouldn’t know the taste of betrayal, would ya, Pierce? Huh, Shaundi? Carlos? For fuck sakes, Nekane, she saved your life. She was you mentor, Natalie. She’s been in this nearly as long as I have. If this is how you treat someone because they still have feelings of kinship with some of their only old friends that haven’t died yet, then what kind of conspiracies do you plot about each other?”

Silence answered him. Nekane was diligently studying the grains of the table beneath her palms. Natalie was staring down at her lap in what could only be described as deep shame.

“That’s what I thought.” He finished quietly.


End file.
